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Glass ^ 
Book__ __Ji 



Work.' 



APERHANGING, 

shes, etc. Tools 
npera Painting, 
ipering a Room. 

Lasting, an 

oots and Shoes 
Sewing an 
g Riveted Boot 

170 Engravings 



The Sign- 
The Simpler V 
ng a Signboard. > 



and Polishing. 



Co 

Frenc 

Off. ( 

and Reviving, .tiara stopping ui u«u. 

Processes of Varnishing Wood Varnishes. 

Dynamos and Electric Motors. 



Staining Wood. 
In and Spiriting 
g. Re-polishing 

j.i^g,^ ^. bf Floors Stains. 

Re-polishing Shop Fronts. 

With T42 Engravings and Diagrams 



Contents— Introduction. Siemens Dynamo. Gramme Dynamo. Manchester 
Dynamo. Simplex Dynamo. Calculating the Size and Amount of Wire for 
Small Dynamos. Ailments of Small Dynamo Electric Machines : their Causes 
and Cures. Small Electro-motors without Castings. How to Determine the 
Direction of Rotation of a Motor. How to Make a Shuttle-Armature Motor. 
Undertype 50- Watt Dynamo. Manchester Type 440- Watt Dynamo. 
Cycle Building: and Repairing;. With 142 Engravings and Diagrams. 

Contents. — Introductory, and Tools Used. How to Build a Front Driver. 
Building a Rear-driving Safety. Building Tandem Safeties. Building Front- 
driver Tricycle. Building a Hand Tricycle. Brazing. How to Make and Fit 
Gear Cases. Fittings and Accessories. Wheel Making. Tyres and Methods 
of Fixing them. Enamelling. Repairing. 

Decorative Designs of All Ages for All Purposes. With 277 
Engravings and Diagrams. 

Contents. — Savage Ornament. Egyptian Ornament. Assyrian Ornament. 
Greek Ornament. Roman Ornament. Early Christian Ornament. Arabic 
Ornament. Celtic and Scandinavian Ornaments. Mediaeval Ornament. 
Renascence and Modern Ornaments. Chinese Ornament. Persian Ornament. 
Indian Ornament. Japanese Ornament. 
Mounting- and Framing Pictures. With 240 Engravings, etc. 

Contents. — Making Picture Frames. Notes on Art Frames. Picture Frame 
Cramps. Making Oxford Frames. Gilding Picture Frames. Methods of 
Mounting Pictures. Making Photograph Frames. Frames covered with Plush 
and Cork. Hanging and Packing Pictures. 
Smiths' Work. With 211 Engravings and Diagrams. 

Conten ts.— Forges and Appliances. Hand Tools. Drawing Down and Up- 
setting. Welding and Punching. Conditions of Work : Principles of Forma- 
tion. Bending and Ring Making. Miscellaneous Examples of Forged Work. 
Cranks, Model Work, and Die Forging. Home-made Forges. The Manipula- 
tion of Steel at the Forge. (Continued on next page.) 

DAVID McKAY, Publisher, 1022 Market Street, Philadelphia. 



HANDICRAFT SERIES {continued). 

Glass Working by Heat and Abrasion. With 300 Engravings 

and Diagrams. 
Contents.— Appliances used in Glass Blowing. Manipulating Glass Tubing. 
Blowing Bulbs and Flasks. Jointing Tubes to Bulbs forming Thistle Funnels, 
etc. Blowing and Etching Glass Fancy Articles ; Embossing and Gilding Flat 
Surfaces. Utilising Broken Glass Apparatus ; Boring Holes in, and Riveting 
Glass. Hand-working of Telescope Specula. Turning, Chipping, and Grinding 
Glass. The Manufacture of Glass. 
Building Model Boats. With i63 Engravings and Diagrams. 

Contents. — Building Model Yachts. Rigging and Sailing Model Yachts. 
Making and Fitting Simple Model Boats. Building a Model Atlantic Liner. 
Vertical Engine for a Model Launch. Model Launch Engine with Reversing 
Gear. Making a Show Case for a Model Boat. 

Electric Bells, How to Make and Fit Them. With 162 En- 
gravings aad Diagrams. 
Contents. — The Electr c Current and the Laws that Govern it. Current 
Conductors used in Electric-Bell Work. Wiring for Electric Bells. Elaborated 
Systems of Wiring; Burglar Alarms. Batteries for Electric Bells. The Con- 
struction of Electric Bells, Pushes, and Switches. Indicators for Electric-Bell 
Systems. 
Bamboo Work. With 177 Engravings and Diagrams. 

Contents. — Bamboo : Its Sources and Uses. How to Work Bamboo. Bamboo 
Tables. Bamboo Chairs and Seats. Bamboo Bedroom Furniture. Bamboo 
Hall Racks and Stands. Bamboo Music Racks. Bamboo Cabinets and Book- 
cases. Bambco Window Blinds. Miscellaneous Articles of Bamboo. Bamboo 
Mail Cart. 
Taxidermy. With 108 Engravings and Diagrams. 

Contents. — Skinning Birds. Stuffing and Mounting Birds. Skinning and 
Stuffing Mammals. Mounting Animals' Horned Heads : Polishing and Mount- 
ing Horns. Skinning, Stuffing, and Casting Fish. Preserving, Cleaning, and 
Dyeing Skins. Preserving Insects, and Birds' Eggs. Cases for Mounting 
Specimens. 
Tailoring. With 180 Engravings and Diagrams. 

Contents. — Tailors' Requisites and Methods of Stitching. Simple Repairs 
and Pressing. Relining, Repocketing, and Recollaring. How to Cut and 
Make Trousers. How to Cut and Make Vests. Cutting and Making Lounge 
and Reefer Jackets. Cutting and Making Morning and Frock Coats. 
Photographic Cameras and Accessories. Comprising How to 
Make Cameras, Dark: Slil.es, Shutters, and Stands. With 160 
Illustrations. 
Contents. — Photographic Lenses and How to Test them. Modern Half-plate 
Cameras. Hand and Pocket Cameras. Ferrotype Cameras. Stereoscopic 
Cameras. Enlarging Cameras. Dark Slides. Cinematograph Management. 

Optical Lanterns. Comprising The Construction and Management 
of Optical Lanterns and the Making of Slides. With 160 
Illustrations. 
Contents. — Single Lanterns. Dissolving View lanterns. Illuminant for 
Optical Lanterns. Optical Lantern Accessories. Conducting a Limelight 
Lantern Exhibition. Experiments with Optical Lanterns. Painting Lantern 
Slides. Photographic Lantern Slides. Mechanical Lantern Slides. Cinemato- 
graph Management. 

Engraving Metals. With Numerous Illustrations. 

Contents. — Introduction and Terms used. Engravers' Tools and their Uses. 
Elementary Exercises in Engraving. Engraving Plate and Precious Metals. 
Engraving Monograms. Transfer Processes of Engraving Metals. Engraving 
Name Plates. Engraving Coffin Plates. Engraving Steel Plates. Chasing 
and Embossing Metals. Etching Metals. 

Basket Work. With 189 Illustrations. 

Contents. — Tools and Materials. Simple Baskets. Grocer's Square Baskets. 
Round Baskets. Oval Baskets. Flat Fruit Baskets. Wicker Elbow Chairs. 
Basket Bottle-casings. Doctors' and Chemists' Baskets. Fancy Basket Work. 
Sussex Trug Basket. Miscellaneous Basket Work. Index 

DAVID McKAY, Publisher, 1022 Market Street, Philadelphia. 



HANDICRAFT SERIES {continued). 

Bookbinding. With 125 Engravings and Diagrams. 

Contents. — Bookbinders' Appliances. Folding Printed Book Sheets. Beat- 
ing and Sewing. Rounding, Backing, and Cover Cutting. Cutting Book Edges. 
Covering Books. Cloth-bound Books, Pamphlets, etc. Account Books, 
Ledgers, etc. Coloring, Sprinkling, and Marbling Book Edges. Marbling 
Book Papers. Gilding Book Edges. Sprinkling and Tree Marbling Book 
Covers. Lettering, Gilding, and Finishing Book Covers. Index. 

Bent Iron Work. Including Elementary Art Metal Work. With 
269 Engravings and Diagrams. 
Contents. — Tools and Materials. Bending and Working Strip Iron. Simple 
Exercises in Bent Iron. Floral Ornaments for Bent Iron Work. Candlesticks. 
Hall Lanterns. Screens, Grilles, etc. Table Lamps. Suspended Lamps and 
Flower Bowls. Photograph Frames. Newspaper Rack. Floor Lamps. 
Miscellaneous Examples. Index. 

Photography. With 70 Engravings and Diagrams. 

Contents. — The Camera and its Accessories. The Studio and Darkroom. 
Plates. Exposure. Developing and Fixing Negatives. Intensification and 
Reduction of Negatives. Portraiture and Picture Composition. Flashlight 
Photography. Retouching Negatives. Processes of Printing from Negatives. 
Mounting and Finishing Prints. Copying and Enlarging. Stereoscopic 
Photography. Ferrotype Photography. Index. 

Upholstery. With 162 Engravings and Diagrams. 

Contents.— Upholsterers' Materials. Upholsterers' Tools and Appliances. 
Webbing, Springing, Stuffing, and Tufting. Making Seat Cushions and Squabs. 
Upholstering an Easy Chair. Upholstering Couches and Sofas. Upholstering 
Footstools, Fenderettes, etc. Miscellaneous Upholstery. Mattress Making 
and Repairing. Fancy Upholstery. Renovating and Repairing Upholstered 
Furniture. Planning and Laying Carpets and Linoleum. Index. 

Leather Working. With 152 Engravings and Diagrams. 

Contents. — Qualities and Varieties of Leather. Strap Cutting and Making. 
Letter Cases and Writing Pads. Hair Brush and Collar Cases. Hat Cases. 
Banjo and Mandoline Cases. Bags. Portmanteaux and Travelling Trunks. 
Knapsacks and Satchels. Leather Ornamentation. Footballs. Dyeing 
Leather. Miscellaneous Examples of Leather Work. Index. 
Harness Making. With 197 Engravings and Diagrams. 

Contents. — Harness Makers' Tools. Harness Makers' Materials. Simple 
Exercises in Stitching. Looping. Cart Harness. Cart Collars. Cart Saddles. 
Fore Gear and Leader Harness. Plough Harness. Bits, Spurs, Stirrups, and 
Harness Furniture. Van and Cab Harness. Index. 

Saddlery. With 99 Engravings and Diagrams. 

Contents. — Gentleman's Riding Saddle. Panel for Gentleman's Saddle. 
Ladies' Side Saddles. Children's Saddles or Pilches. Saddle Cruppers, Breast- 
plates, and other Accessories. Riding Bridles. Breaking-down Tackle Head 
Collars. Horse Clothing. Knee-caps and Miscellaneous Articles. Repairing 
Harness and Saddlery. Re-lining Collars and Saddles. Riding and Driving 
Whips. Superior Set of Gig Harness. Index. 

Other Volumes in Preparation. 



DAVID McKAY, Publisher, 1022 Market Street, Philadelphia. 



WORK" HANDBOOKS 

\ 



LEATHER WORKING 



LEATHER WORKING 



WITH NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS AND DIAGRAMS 



EDITED BY 

PAUL 1ST. HAS LUCK 

EDITOR OF "WORK" AND "BUILDING WORLD." 
AUTHOR OF " HANDY BOOKS FOR HANDICRAFTS.'' ETC. ETC. 



PHILADELPHIA 

DAVID McKAY, Publisher 

1022 MARKET STREET 
1901 



TSfOtO 
,H 35 



1 C 



Q 
0- 



PREFACE. 

/ — '— 

i\ This Handbook contains, in a form convenient for 
1 everyday use, a comprehensive digest of the informa- 
tion on Leather Working, scattered over more than 
twenty thousand columns of Work — one of the weekly 
journals it is my fortune to edit — and supplies concise 
information on the details of the subjects on which 
it treats. 

In preparing for publication in book form the 
mass of relevant matter contained in the volumes of 
Work, much had to be arranged anew, altered, and 
largely re-written. From these causes the contributions 
of many are so blended that the writings of individuals 
cannot be distinguished for acknowledgment. 

Readers who may desire additional information 
respecting special details of the matters dealt with 
in this Handbook, or instructions on kindred subjects, 
should address a question to Work, so that it may be 
answered in the^columns of that journal. 



P. N. HASLUCK. 



La Belle Sanvage, London. 
Man, 1901. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAP. PAGE 

I. — Qualities and Varieties of Leather . . 9 

II.— Strap Cutting and Making ... 17 

III.— Letter Cases and Writing Pads . . 31 

IV. — Hair Brush and Collar Cases ... 40 

V.— Hat Cases • . .49 

VI. — Banjo and Mandoline Cases . . .55 

VII.— Bags .65 

VIIL— Portmanteaux and Travelling Trunks . 90 

IX. — Knapsacks and Satchels . . . . 100 

X. — Leather Ornamentation . . . .112 

XT.— Footballs 116 

XII. — Dyeing Leather 125 

XIIL— Miscellaneous Examples of Leather Work 129 
Index 157 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



FIG. 

1.— Method of Cutting 
Hide . 

2.— Marking Garter 

3. — Garter Bits 

4.— Garter Complete 

5.— Strap Bit . 

6.— Skate Strap 

7.— Hand-punch Riveter 

8.— Hollow Studs . 

9.— Dog Lead . . . . 
10.— Dog Lead with Swivel . 
11.— Dog Lead with Studs 

and Ring 
12.— Chain-end Fitting . 
13.— Wrist Strap 
14. — Pattern for Wrist Strap 
15.— Pattern for Wrist Strap 

Bit 

16.— Folded Bit 
17.— Bit Complete . 
18.— Double End Brace . 
19.— Double End Brace 

joined at Back 
20.— Strap Cutting Appliance 
21.— Plate of Strap Cutting 

Appliance 
22.— Another Plate of Strap 

Cutting Appliance 
23. — Letter Case 
24.— Back of Letter Case 
25, 26.— Side Pockets 
27.— Card Pocket . 
28.— Stamp Pocket . 
29.— Writing Pad Folded up. 
30.— Writing Pad Open . 
31.— Base of Writing Pad . 
32, 33.— Writing Pad Pockets 
34.— Writing Pad Pockets . 
35.— Blotting Pad . 
36.— Hair Brush Case . 
37.— Horse-shoe Collar Box . 
38. — Forming Drawers in 

Collar Box 
39.— Collar Box Drawer and 

Lid 

40.— Round Collar Box . 
41.— Block for Making Collar 

Box 

42.— Catch Strap 
43.— Hinge Strap 



PAGE 

up 
. 15 
. 19 
. 19 
. 19 
. 21 
. 21 
. 22 
. 22 
23 
23 



23 
24 
24 
24 

24 
24 

24 
23 

23 
29 

29 

30 

31 

52 
33 

53 
35 
54 
35 
56 
37 
oS 
58 
41 
42 

43 

44 
45 

45 
46 
46 



FIG. PAGE 

44.— Back of Round Collar 

Box 48 

45.— Bucket - shaped Hat 

Case . . . .49 
46.— Hat Case shown Dia- 

grammatically . . 50 

47 —Hat Case Handle . . 51 

48.— Half Side of Hat Case . 51 

49.— Sewn Seam ... 51 

50.— Corner Seam . . . 53 
51.— Bracket for Handle and 

Strap Strides . . 53 

52.— Inner Hat Case . . 53 
53.— Patterns for Parts of 
Banjo Case with 

Whole Lid . . . 57 
54.— Patterns for Parts of 
Banjo Case with End 

Lid 57 

55.— Bottom of Banjo Case . 58 

56. — Corner of Banjo Case . 58 
57.— Banjo Case with End 

Lid 59 

58.— Corner Split and Butted 59 

59.— Mitred Corner . . 59 

60.— Mandoline in Case . 60 
61.— Elevation of Mandoline 

Case .... 61 

62.— Top of Mandoline Case 62 
63. — Bottom of Mandoline 

Case .... 62 
64.— Mandoline Case End 

Piece . . . .63 

65. — Binding Corner of Case 63 
66.— Stitching Corner of 

Case .... 63 
67.— Brief Bag .... 65 
68.— Narrower Brief Bag . 66 
69.— Brief Bag Frame . . 66 
70.— Pattern for Side of Bag 67 
71.— Gusset Pattern . . 67 
72— Gusset Stiffening Pat- 
tern .... 67 
73.— Bag Bottom Pattern . 68 
74.— Bag Lining and Pocket 68 
75.— Gladstone Bag . . 74 
76.— Another Gladstone Bag 74 
77.— Rubbing Bone or Stick 75 
73.— Stiffening for Bag Divi- 
sion . . . .75 



Lea ther Working. 



FIG. PAGE 

79.— Leather Pocket . . 76 
80.— Pocket Flap . 
31— Chape .... 
82.— Folding Paper for 

Small Pattern 
83.— Part of Bag Handle . 

84.-Tab 

85— Half of Bottom Stiffen- 
ing 

86— Bottom of Brief Bag . 
87.— Tennis Racket Case . 
88.— Case for Tennis Bat, 

Balls, etc. 
89.— Tennis Bag in Cricket 

Bag Style 
90.— Tennis Bag Frame. 
91— Studded Bottom of 

Tennis Bag . 
92.— Turn-clip 

93.— Tennis Bag in Glad- 
stone Style . 
94.— Tennis Bag in Half- 
Gladstone Style . 
95.— Imperial Trunk . 
96.— Railway Trunk . 
97.— Trunk .... 
98.— Trunk Division Board. 
99.— Knapsack 
100.— Body of Knapsack. 
101.— Ring and Holder . 
102.— Section of Buckle 
Leather and Sheath . 
103.— Brass Stud . 
104.— D-ring .... 
105— Stiffened Part of Knap- 

106— Section of Stiffened 
Part .... 
107— Strap End with Key- 
hole Slit 
108.— Part Back View of 

Knapsack 
109.— Piped Corner of Stif- 

Eened Part . 
110.— Satchel or Cartridge 
Bag .... 

111.— Buckle Piece . . .108 
112.— Back and Flap of Sat- 
chel . . . .108 
113.— Front of Satchel . . 108 
114.— Gusset of Satchel . . 109 
115.— Satchel Shoulder Strap 110 
116.— Short Strap of Satchel . Ill 



91 
93 
95 

98 
100 
101 
102 

102 
102 
102 

103 

103 

105 

106 

107 
107 



FIG. PAGE 

117.— Tracer . . . .113 
118.— Liner . . . .113 
119, 120.— Modeller . . .114 
121.— Another View of 

Mm Idler 
122.— Ground Punch 
123.— Association Football . 
124.— Rugby Football . 
125.— Segment of Associa- 
tion Football Case 
126.— Football Pattern Set 



115 
115 
116 
117 

118 

119 



127.—: 

128.- 
129.- 

130.- 

131.- 
132.- 
133.- 

134.- 
135.- 
136.- 

137.- 

138.- 
139.- 
140.- 
141.- 
142. 

143.- 

144.- 
145.- 

146.- 

147.- 



148. 

149. 

150. 

151. 
152. 



out on Hide 
Making Lace-holes on 

Football Case 
Football Inflator . 
Portsea Purse or Sad- 
dler's Purse . . . 
Patterns for Parts of 

Opera Glass Case 
Music Carrier Closed 
Music Carrier Open 
Pattern for Music 

Carrier . 
Hand Roller 
Camera Case 
Front Flap, Top, and 

Back of Camera Case . 139 
Gusset and Flaps of 

Camera Case 
Dee and Buckle Chape. 
•Humane Dog Muzzle . 
•Cycle Valise . 
Tat! em of Cycle Valise 145 
Pattern for Leather 

Covering of Workbox . 146 
Luggage Label . . 147 
Another Luggage Label 148 
•Segment of Cricket 

Ball Cover In t 
■Sewing Cricket 

Covering 
Sewing Halves of 

Covering of Cricket 

Ball 
■Section of Sewn Edges 

of Ball Covering 
Holding Cricket Ball 

during Sewing . . 151 
Bottom Piece of Suit 

Case . 153 

Lid of Suit Case ! ! 154 
Section of Suit Case 

Side . . . .155 



121 
122 

129 

133 
134 
135 

136 
137 
138 



139 
143 
143 
144 



148 
149 



150 
151 



LEATHER WORKING. . 

CHAPTER I. 

QUALITIES AND VARIETIES OF LEATHER. 

This handbook will describe how to make a large 
number of useful articles in leather. Naturally, 
some mention of tools must come first, but it is not 
thought necessary to give space to their description 
here, as they have already been dealt with so fully 
and illustrated so clearly in companion volumes, 
" Boot Making and Mending," and " Harness Mak- 
ing." They will be indicated sufficiently in later 
chapters as the need for their use arises. This 
chapter will discuss leather, its qualities and varie- 
ties. 

Commercial skins are classified in Watt's " Art 
of Leather Manufacture " under three heads, 
namely : 1. Hides— or the skins of the large and full- 
grown animals, as the ox, cow, buffalo, horse, 
and hippopotamus ; 2. Kips— or the skins of the 
younger animals of the same class ; and 3. Skins — 
as those of the smaller animals, such as the calf, 
sheep, goat, deer, etc. The skins most extensively 
used in leather manufacture are those of the ox, 
cow, horse, calf, sheep, goat, kid, pig, deer, 
seal, and kips, but recently the skins of crocodiles, 
alligators, and serpents have been employed for 
making certain kinds of fancy leather. 

Particulars of the many varieties of leather may 
now be given. 
> Pate nt Calf. — In making this leather, the skin, 
having received its preliminary preparation, is 



1 o Lea ther Working. 

stretched upon a smooth board, and every particle 
of grease extracted from it with fuller' s-earth and 
water. It is then given four coats of varnish con- 
taining drying oil, vegetable black, and Prussian 
blue. As each coat is applied, the leather is stoved 
and afterwards polished with powdered pumice- 
stone. The final coat has an addition of darker 
Prussian blue, and sometimes a little copal or 
amber varnish. The stove heat varies from 120° 
to 180° F., according to the leather under treat- 
ment. 

Waxed Calf.— After depilation and tanning, the 
skin has to pass through a variety of processes, 
namely soaking, fleshing and skiving, graining, 
finishing, stretching, stuffing, compo-ing, drying, 
whitening, blacking, sizing, polishing, etc. This 
will give some idea of the amount of handling a 
calf-skin goes through before it is converted to 
leather. French calf skins, especially " females," 
are the best, and softest in wear, although those of 
English production are, in some cases, very fine ; 
the latter, not being so soft, are more suitable for 
stronger and heavier work than French. 

Memcl Calf. — With few exceptions this is treated 
in the same way as waxed calf. In some cases the 
whole skin is treated ; but in a great many instances 
it is only the shoulders, or perhaps the necks, that 
are made into memel. It should be well tanned. 
The compo-ing is done on the grain side, and the 
stuffing on the flesh side, and not so much of either 
is needed as for wax calf. It is grained with a roller 
according to the sort of grain required, whether 
pebble, long, etc. After oiling, sizing, and drying, 
the graining is finished, the leather is finely oiled, 
and is then ready for use. 

Busset Calf is used either dry or with a little oil 
dressing ; in the former case it is very pale, the oil 
making it a little darker. Horse and other animal 
belly rounding is now often dressed in a like manner. 



Qualities and Varieties of Leather, ii 

Its preparation is similar in some respects to that 
of other dry-dressed leathers, and, among other 
processes, it passes through a solution of borax, 
weak sulphuric acid, and a warm bath of Sicily 
sumach and alum, which forms a mordant when 
further dyeing is needed. 

Tan Calf has been produced to imitate Russia 
leather at less cost, and there now is a greater 
quantity used for the best class of work than of real 
Russia. Each season brings its varied and improved 
shades. The calf skin is such a ready recipient of 
dyes, that by manipulating with various mordants 
the expert leather dyer can produce some very 
delicate tints. 

Ooze Calf is a very soft leather in wear, and most 
durable if kept well cleaned. It has a nice pebble 
grain, which generally forms the face. The flesh 
side is a velvet pile, and when first produced was 
considered the right side, and it was so made up 
and advertised as "velvet calf." But the grain is 
the side now generally preferred. 

Calf Kid is a most useful leather made by tawing, 
not tanning. It has to pass through the following 
routine : Soaking, cleaning, liming, unhairing, flesh- 
ing, paring, scudding, drenching, alum and salt 
dressing, drying, seasoning, staking, shaving, egg- 
ing, dyeing, and finishing. The difference between 
tanning and tawing is briefly this — When tanned, 
the greatest component part of a skin, namely 
gelatine, is, by the action of tannic acid, formed into 
leather, of which these two ingredients are the chief 
factors. The acid arrests decomposition, and the 
two ingredients cannot return to their former state ; 
whereas, in tawing, alum, salt, and gelatine form 
the leather, and although the two former prevent 
decomposition of the gelatine, each ingredient can 
be brought back to its original state. 

Glace or French Kid is a very delicate and fine sur- 
faced leather. It is subjected to a process of tawing 



1 2 Lea ther Working. 

which imparts to it great suppleness. It is dyed 
upon the grain side, except when bath dyed, which 
is rarely the case, and is then glazed and polished. 

Glove Kid is made into leather by tawing in the 
same way as calf kid, but its character and uses are 
quite different. 

Cordovan is made in many places other than its 
supposed place of origin — Cordova. It is tanned 
and curried on the grain side, and passes through 
some special processes, such as a bran bath and a 
fig bath. It is made a good deal from horse, goat, 
and even dog skin. An inferior leather, much like 
it, called "grain/' is used a good deal for cheaper 
work, and a much newer production, called " satin- 
hide/' is a similar leather, but possesses a smoother 
face. Cordovan stands easily first for durability, 
satin-hide being next. 

Morocco, Levant, is a beautifully grained and 
tanned goat-skin, dyed on the grain side, and 
finished with a bright pebble grain. A cheaper and 
somewhat greasy kind is not nearly so good-looking 
or durable in wear as the dry-dressed morocco 
levant, which has a beautiful soft brightness. Skins 
are produced in imitation of moroccos of various 
colours. These are called roans, and are made from 
sheep-skins, as " Cream Roans. " 

Brown Levant Morocco is the same as morocco 
levant, except that it is made from younger and 
smaller skins, and is more finely grained. 

Long-grain Morocco is, like the two last-named, 
made from the skin of goats, but has a long grain 
running across the skin. These leathers are tanned 
with sumach, provided by leaves and twigs. The 
better kinds are the Strasbourg moroccos. 

White Sheep is a tawed leather, and forms a very 
soft material. Among the many processes it under- 
goes is the application of paste composed of flour 
and yolks of eggs, in addition to the alum bath 
which it has previously received. 



Qualities and Varieties of Leather. 13 

Cream Boan is made generally from good (medium 
weight) sheep-skins, sumach tanned, and is similar 
in structure to morocco, though, like all sheep-skin, 
it is less durable. 

Brown Persian is obtained as a rule from Cape 
sheep. It make a fine, soft, tough leather ; when 
dyed it resembles morocco, but is left with a smooth 
grain. 

Skivers, Brown, etc. — This is the grain of sheep- 
skin split by machinery (the flesh side being pre- 
pared for chamois or wash-leather). In appearance 
it is much like brown persian, except that it is ex- 
tremely thin. This is really bookbinders' skiver, 
and is used for covering fancy articles. 

Cowhide Patent, or enamel hide, is made from the 
hide of the cow. The process of enamelling is the 
same as that for patent calf, though in this instance 
the enamelling is done upon the grain side after the 
grain has been printed or otherwise prepared. It 
is now produced with a smaller grain than in former 
years, when it had a longer grain like the leather 
now used for bags, etc. It is now known more by 
the name Diamond hide. 

Black Grain (Cow) Hide. — This is treated some- 
what as wax calf, but the dyeing is done on the 
grain side, and as much stuffing is put in as it will 
possibly hold. 

Brown Cowhide is made into leather by some of 
the preceding methods ; it is worked in the same 
way as black grain cowhide, but it is very slightly 
stuffed in cases where the natural colour is not 
needed and dyeing has to be resorted to. 

Porpoise-hide is tanned and very greasily dressed, 
and makes a very soft and waterproof leather. It 
is expensive, but is exceedingly durable. 

Crup or Horse is taken generally from the butt 
of the horseskin. It is practically the middle part 
of the skin that is dressed for this leather, as the 
grain and a good quantity of flesh are taken off. 



14 Leather Working. 

When gooG^ft* wears well and is waterproof, and 
polishes more easily and better than calf. Its uses 
are the same as tho's.e of waxed calf. 

Pigskin generally is. dressed brown. It is a 
tanned leather, light in weight, porous, very dur- 
able, and soft and cool to wear. 

Bussia Leather is one of the best of brown leathers. 
According to Andrew Ure the process of dressing 
this leather is as follows : It is freed from hair, 
rinsed, fulled for a longer or shorter time according 
to the nature of the skin, and fermented in a proper 
steep (for a week at least) after a hot-water wash- 
ing ; it is then worked on the beam after soaking for 
forty-eight hours in a bath containing a fermented 
paste of rye flour ; it is rinsed for fifteen days, then 
worked in the river, and subjected to the stringent 
juices of willow bark, etc. After a deal of working 
in this, it is set to dry and curried with empyreu- 
matic oil of the bark of birch tree. To this sub- 
stance the Russia leather owes its peculiarities. If 
the oil passes through it stains the grain side. The 
red colour is supposed to be from sandalwood or 
basil wood. 

Kangaroo. — The skin of the kangaroo, when pro- 
perly tanned, does not crack. It is one of the 
softest and prettiest leathers, and has been im- 
proved largely in recent years. 

Buckskin. — To prepare this leather for use, the 
whole of the grain is cut away and oil is hammered 
into it, any excess of oil being removed afterwards. 
A vast amount of working is necessary to give it 
suppleness Doe is similar, but not so good. 

Brown Glace Kid.- — This and the two following are 
believed to be produced by chrome tanning. Brown 
glace kid is an American production, and seems to 
vary much as regards retaining its colour in wear, 
according to the shade given it, the bright browns 
lasting well, while the dull or subdued tints some- 
times change under the influence of cream dressings. 



" Qualities and Varieties of Leather. 15 

Box Calf. — The grain side is the face of this 
leather. It is somewhat like firm ooze calf, only- 
black, but resists moisture better. Many leathers 
are being made of this and a similar — green calf, 
for instance ;. also iron calf or kid, which is much 
like calf kid, but, from being dressed to resemble 
kid, is very useful, and an extremely strong leather. 

Willow Calf is similar to box calf, but it is of a 
brown colour. It is made in good colours and re- 
tains them longer, perhaps, than any other sort of 



1 F \^ 


1 F J 


v i G 


G 


D 


\ 



: b 

F ;' 
/ 

J A 
f 


B i 

h «ie 

1 

A 


^ c 


r^> 



Fig". 1. — Method of Catting up Hide. 

brown leather, and is easy to clean and repolish. It 
is used for all purposes for which box calf is em- 
ployed. 

Foreign B^tt (Bend) and Belly. — These, for the most 
part, are similar to the English butt, except that 
the processes of manufacture are different. 

Basil is made by tanning the large and stouter 
kinds of sheepskins with oak and larch bark. This 
leather is generally used in the best class shoe 
trade only for pump inner : soles. 

Welting is generally made from English shoul- 



1 6 Lea thbr Working. 

ders. These are converted into welting by being 
stuffed well with grease. They are used for the 
welts of hand-sewn boots and shoes. V^ 

It is now necessary to give a description of the 
different parts of a hide of leather. Fig. 1 gives a 
diagram of a hide, fully showing the various parts. 
a a are the best parts of the butt ; b b, top end ; 
c c, edge, or hitch pieces. The whole of above, 
combined, are commercially called butt ends, while 
with d d (the first cut) the whole would be a butt ; 
e e, part known as bellies ; f f, odd pieces, with 
others, are flanks, shanks, cheeks, and faces ; G g, 
shoulders ;abcd and G, folded at h h, are sides and 
bends. 



i7 



CHAPTER II. 

STKAP CUTTING AND MAKING. 

In making a gross (144 pairs) of common garters 
\ in. or | in. wide, the following tools will be re- 
quired : — One hollow-ground knife ; one plain knife, 
not hollow-ground ; a punch (see p. 15 of " Harness 
Making"), with nipples from T Vin. to | in. in dia- 
meter ; a pair or two of pliers ; a screw-crease or 
two (see p. 19 of " Harness Making ") ; and a mark- 
ing board of dry mahogany or any hard wood ^ in. 
to 1 in. thick, about 3 ft. long by 9 in. wide. 

For the cutting board, use a piece of planed deal 
or pine free from knots ; mark from the end along 
one edge distances of 12^ in., 13^ in., 14^ in., and 
15^ in. A hardwood measuring-off stick about 2 in. 
wide, 2 ft. long, and ^ in. thick should have the fol- 
lowing lengths marked — 12 in., 13 in., 14 in., and 
15 in. An emery stick about 1 in. square, of any 
length, with emery paper glued round, a few wire 
nails l£ in. long, and some leather and buckles, will 
be wanted. Glue a leather shaving on the back of 
each knife blade to 2 in. from the point, as a pro- 
tection for the fingers gripping the blade when cut- 
ting the leather, which should be from T l j in. to 
^ in. thick. 

Begin to make the garters by placing the leather 
on the cutting board, and with the hollow-ground 
knife cut an edge of the leather straight. Then cut 
them out, using the thumbnail as a guide. An 
easy way is to set a pair of compasses or points to 
the required width of the strap (bare § in.), to cut 
an edge of the leather straight, and to run the 
points down the leather, which can then be cut to 
the mark made. Do not cut any shorter than the 

B 



1 8 Lea ther Working. 

12^-in. mark on the cutting board, and always 
examine the leather to see that there will not be 
much waste. Then point the lengths as in Fig. 2 
with the other knife. 

To mark the straps on the board, use the screw- 
crease set to x 2 in. The marking does not show up 
if not near the edge. Heat the point of the screw- 
crease in the gas or fire ; when it is at the proper 
heat it will move easily along the strap, leaving a 
bright glossy mark if a little force is exerted. The 
top of the strap is not marked. A small can con- 
taining water in which to dip the crease when too 
hot should be at hand. In heating by gas, mount 
on the pipe a tin can about 1^ in. in diameter. If 
the outside diameter of the gaspipe is \ in., cut 
down from the top with a pair of scissors two nicks 
about 1 in. long on opposite sides of the can ; then 
bend up the tin, push the can on the gaspipe, bend 
the strips down, and tie them securely with band or 
wire. The screw-crease, when being heated, rests 
on the bottom of the can. Of course, a small gas 
stove will do as well, and probably better. 

Now punch a hole A (Fig. 2) for the tongue of the 
buckle in each strap about f in. from the top, and 
on the centre line ; three or four straps can be 
punched at a time. Then cut the bits. In Fig. 3 
two kinds are illustrated ; A makes a better job, but 
is more difficult to cut than b. The edges can be 
marked to improve the appearance. 

To buckle the garters, press the tongue of a 
buckle open and thread a strap through, putting 
the tongue in the hole A (Fig. 2) and bending back 
the | in. threaded through, as in Fig. 4. Hold the 
garter in the left hand, pressing down the |-in. 
length with the thumbnail, and put one edge of a 
bit just under the thumbnail, holding it firm. Then 
with a punch in the right hand make a hole through 
the bit, the ^-in. length, and the front of the strap. 
Lap the point of the bit from the back round the 



Strap Cutting and Making. 



19 



front, and thread it through the hole. Put the 
buckle on a nail in the table and pull the bit A 
(Fig. 4) with the pliers. Cut the bit, leaving it 
about \ in. long. Then fasten the measuring off 
board to the table with a couple of springs, and 
measure the garters one at a time, putting together 
those measuring to 12^ in. long, then those measur- 




Fiff. 3.— Garter Bits. 



Fig. 2. — Marking 
Garter. 



Fig. 4.— Garter 
Complete. 



ing to 13| in., those measuring to 14| in., and those 
measuring to 15^ in., calling them 12s, 13s, 14s, and 
15s. 

For pairing, take a measured pile, then place two 
of the garters side by side and see whether they are 
of equal widths, and whether one is, say, \ in. to 
\ in. longer than the other. Then push the point 
of the longer garter through the bit marked b 



20 Leather Working. 

(Fig. 4) of the other ; pull it through, when the 
points of the two garters should come fair. Thus 
the top garter of a pair is slightly the longer, the 
width of the bit on the shorter garter making the 
difference. 

Next punch the garters down the leg, doing a 
pair together at first, until with practice two pairs 
can be done at once. Make six holes in the 12s and 
13s, and seven in the 14s and 15s, the rule being half 
as many holes as the strap is inches long. The 
holes should just let the buckle tongues pass 
through. 

Packing may be done by the round way or the 
length way. By the first method, place three of the 
12s, one at a time, on the table with the flesh side 
facing the worker ; then pack three 13s as before, 
putting them at the back of the 12s, then pick three 
14s, putting them at the back of the 13s, then three 
15s at the back of the 14s. Twist the straps round, 
and it will be seen that the longer ones wrap round 
the shorter garters. Then tie the ends with band. 
For the length way, half a dozen garters are placed 
lengthwise one way and the other half dozen the 
other way, the shorter garters being packed in the 
middle. Three bands are tied across, one at each 
of the ends and one at the middle. The garters 
are packed in dozens and in half or whole grosses. 

Leg straps are like garters, but generally have a 
roller buckle, and are 18 in. to 21 in. long ; rather 
stronger leather is used, and the straps are f in. 
wide. 

Skate straps are generally % in. wide, and from 
18 in. to 36 in. long, and can be made as above 
described, but for a stronger job the buckle tongue 
hole should be about 1 in. from the top. Then the 
point of the bit can be threaded through a hole 
punched on the centre line of the strap. They can 
also be made with double buckles, one part serving 
as the bit. They are either riveted or sewn. 



Strap Cutting and Making. 



21 



Skate straps are also made with roller buckles. 
The strap is prepared as described, except that the 
bit is cut to Fig. 5 to go round the strap and meet 
at the back ; then punch a hole in the centre of each 
end, and with twine thread through both holes, pull 
the ends together, and tie. Then press the bits so 
that the knots are at the back, and slip one on each 
strap to the buckle. A rivet is put in just below the 
bit and goes through the portion which is lapped 
over ; or the pieces can be sewn by hand or machine. 

00 DQ 



Fig. 5.— Strap Bit. 



iii 



Fig. 6.— Skate Strap: 

In another form of skate strap (shown in Fig. 6), 
the part A is set out with a zinc template, and the 
two small garters b, which are riveted on, are about 
3 in. long. The strap for these should be 6 in. long, 
and the hole for the buckle tongue should be 
punched in the centre, so that when they are fast- 
ened the rivets go through the back part as well as 
through the front. Sometimes this skate strap is 
curved a little, one strap being curved one way for 
one foot, and the other the other way. They are 
from 12 in. to 20 in. long and from 2 in. to 3 in. 
broad, and hold the front part of the skate, a strap 
from 18 in. to 21 in. holding the back part. 



22 Leather Working. 

Parcel straps, 30 in. to 40 in. long, are made as 
described above, and are threaded through a nickel- 
plated, brass, or leather handle. 

Dog-leads are handier for general use than are 
chains, being much lighter and more easily carried 
in the pocket. A necessary tool for making dog- 
leads is the hand punch, which is shown by Fig. 19, 
p. 16 of the companion volume " Harness Making " ; 
for use with this a few nipples of different sizes 
should be obtained. 

For hollow-studding the dog-leads, the hand- 
punch riveter, shown by Fig. 7, is required, the top 
piece being countersunk so that the stud top a just 
fits in. Fig. S illustrates a number of hollow studs. 
For riveting studs of different shape, obtain a few 





Fig. 7.— Hand-punch 
Riveter. 

of the top pieces A (Fig. 7) bored out exactly to fit 
the studs. Solid buttonhead rivets look extremely 
well, and can be hammered into the leather without 
previously making holes for their reception ; for the 
latter reason they weaken the leather much less 
than do hollow studs A screw-crease, as shown by 
Fig. 37, p. 19, of "Harness Making," is necessary 
for giving a gloss to the edges of the straps, etc. ; 
the width of the mark made by it is regulated by 
the small screw, and the tool is heated slightly on 
the working part when required for use. Xote 
that the working part alone requires heating; 
avoid heating the screw and thus making it useless. 
Practise with the tool on scrap leather before using 
it on good work. 



Strap Cutting and Making. 



23 



The simplest kind of dog-lead will be described 
first, and this is illustrated by Fig. 9. To make it, 
first cut out a good leather strap from 36 in. to 50 in. 
long and about \ in. or | in. wide. Run the hot 
crease along the edges of the strap so as to make 
a bright mark ; rub over and over again until the 




Fig. 9.— Dog: Lead. Fig. 10. — Dog Lead Fig. 11.— Dog Lead 
with Swivel. with Studs and Ring. 



required gloss is obtained. The hotter the crease, 
the smaller will be the pressure required, but care 
must be taken that it is not so hot as to burn and 
stick in the leather ; a good plan is to heat the tool 
well, dip the working part in water, and use at once. 
Loop, and then rivet or sew one end of the strap to 



24 Leather Working. 

form a handle. Cut a \ on the other end of the 
strap, punch a few holes as shown, and rivet on a 
buckle strap ; together with the buckle, this is 4^ in. 
long, and is creased or marked before riveting. 
This simple lead is now complete, and for use is 
buckled through the ring of the dog's collar. 

In Fig. 10 is shown a better kind of lead, as the 
swivel G prevents it from twisting when the dog 
moves its head round. In making this dog-lead, 
proceed as before as far as the handle ; in the event 
of the leather not being long enough to allow of 
this, cut a strap 12 in. to 18 in. long, loop it, and 
rivet it on to form the handle. Put the other end of 
the strap for about 1 in. through the swivel G, and 
rivet as shown. The lead is then complete. 

A still better dog-lead is shown by Fig. 11 ; it 
differs from the last one in having, instead of a 
leather handle, a l£-in. or 1^-in. martingale ring 
passed through a loop at the end and secured by a 
rivet. The lead is then given a more finished ap- 
pearance. Instead of the martingale ring alone, the 
chain-end fitting illustrated by Fig. 12 may be used. 
It is attached in the same manner as the plain ring. 
The dog-lead shown at Fig. 11 can be ornamented 
by any of the hollow brass studs shown by Fig. 8. 

In putting in the studs, first with the punch make 
a number of holes at an equal distance apart. The 
necks b (Fig. 8) of these studs should fit tightly in 
the holes ; when the studs are in the holes, with the 
rivet punch (Fig. 7) clinch their necks fast into the 
leather, the neck part being pressed outwards as in 
the section c (Fig. 8). D illustrates a stud having a 
rounded instead of a conical top. 

Either brass or nickel-plated swivels will be 
suitable ; the latter, perhaps, look the neater when 
new, but are more quickly tarnished than brass, and 
thus require more frequent cleaning. These re- 
marks apply also to the martingale ring and chain- 
end fitting. 



Strap Cutting and Making. 

A 



25 




Fig. 12.— Chain-end 
Fitting. 



J 



Fisr. 15.— Pattern for 
Wrist Strap Bit. 



Fig. 16.— Folded Bit. 




Fig. 17.— Bit Complete. 



Fig. 13.— Wrist 
Strap. 




Fig. 14.— Pattern 
for Wrist Strap. 



26 Leather Working. 

The bifurcated rivets, used in fastening the dif- 
ferent parts together, can be obtained nickel-plated, 
japanned, brassed, or coppered, as required, and 
are inserted and clinched with the aid of a hammer. 
Full instructions for doing this are given by the 
makers when sending out the rivets. 

A strap for strengthening the wrist is shown in 
Fig. 13. First with a sharp knife cut a cardboard 
pattern to Fig. 14, and place it on a piece of thin, 
pliable leather, which may be of any colour required, 
though brown, stained, or enamelled looks the 
neatest. Mark carefully round the pattern with a 
lead pencil, and cut out just inside the pencil marks. 
Next, to cut out the slit a (Fig. 14), place the pat- 
tern on the leather, punch a small hole at each end 
of the slit, and cut out the piece between with the 
knife. The strap will be neater when finished if it 
is marked all round the edges (see Fig. 13) with a 
screw-crease. 

Cut a piece of leather \ in. wide and 2 in. long, 
and on the centre line, near each end, with awl or 
punch make a small hole (Fig. 15) ; thread a piece 
of band through the two holes and tie it or sew the 
end. Cut the ends of the band close to the leather 
to Fig. 16, and bend the leather over, so that the 
jointed part is at the centre (Fig. 17). Put this bit 
on the end c (Fig. 13), then put the buckle tongue 
through the hole d (Fig. 14), bring the end B through 
the buckle and over the jointed part of the bit and 
sew down, or rivet with a bifurcated nickeled rivet. 
To finish, punch seven holes down the fastening 
part of the wrist strap. A nickel-plated buckle 
looks neatest. 

In fixing, place the strap on the wrist ; put the 
point through the slit A (Fig. 14) and pull until 
tight enough, then carry the end round again and 
buckle up, passing the point through the bit. The 
advantage of this wrist strap is that no buckle 
presses against the skin. 



Strap Cutting and Making. 27 

To make a pair of braces, first cut the web to a 
length of from 18 in. to 22 in., and, in the absence of 
brace-end punches, cut the pattern of the front 
strap to go to the buckle, and the hind piece to the 
button, and another to which the front buckle 
fastens. The front strap should be from 5 in. to 
6 in. long. The back piece is about 3 in. long. Leave 
both pieces of the same width as the web in one end, 
and round it at the top, and mark a cross line as far 
as the webbing is to come ; taper the other end of 
the strap, and round off the point. 

Cut the back piece to shape from the points of 
the cross line, and taper it towrds the bottom, 
leaving it full opposite the intended buttonhole ; 
cut the front buckle piece to the same shape at the 
bottom as the back piece, but narrow it towards the 
top to the width of the buckle. Turn in 1 in. at the 
top and cut a hole for the buckle ; shave the point, 
crease, and finish all the straps, and stitch in the 
buckles with a loop close up to them. Have a piece 
of thin basil leather of the same size as, or a little 
larger than, the wide part in the strap end, and 
have back pieces from the cross line upwards. 

Stitch along the cross line with single thread, 
and then put the web in as far as the stitches, and 
tack down. Having pricked the leather all round, 
stitch it in along the marks, trim the basil pieces, 
and cut them close round the stitches ; punch the 
strap and a hole in the buckle-piece and in the back- 
piece about \ in. from the point, and slit the holes 
up for about 1 in. ; the single end brace is now 
ready. 

If the braces are to have cross straps in front 
(see Fig. 18) to fasten on two buttons, put a piece in 
the buckle of the same width all along and about 
l\ in. long. When doubled, stitch a loop near the 
buckle, leaving space below for the cross strap to 
go through ; cut the cross-piece about 1 in. wide 
and 9 in. long and stitch it together in the centre 



28 



Lea ther Working. 



with double thread ; narrow the other part a little, 
and taper to a point, letting it be a bit full opposite 
the hole. 

Rub and crease it, and put the holes as directed 
in the other brace end, in the two ends of the cross 
strap, and then put them in the open space left at 
the bottom of the buckle-piece ; or this part may be 
made first and stitched in place while making the 
buckle part. Others, besides being double in front, 
join at the back (Fig. 19). Put both ends of the web 
together so as to cross, and insert a stitch or two 



\ 



Fig. 




: 9.— Double End Brace 
Joined at Back. 



Fig. 18.— Double End 
Brace. 



to hold them in their place ; bend a piece of leather, 
not too thick, and cut it neatly into the shape of 
an egg, pointed at the top to cover the joint, and 
narrow at the bottom where the bend is so as to take 
in a 1-in. dee or ring ; stitch it into the ring. Cut 
the back straps about | in. wide, and narrow them 
gradually towards one end and round off the other. 
Turn down the narrow end for about 1 in., shave 
the point, and stitch to the dee previously stitched 
on. Finish by punching holes for the buckles. 



Stxap Cutting and Making. 



29 



In concluding this chapter the construction of 
a leather strap cutting appliance may be described. 
This will cut leather straps, belts, etc., of any thick- 
ness and length and up to 3 in. wide. To make the 




Fig. 20. — Strap Cutting Appliance. 

appliances, first obtain a block (a, Fig. 20) about 
10 in. long by 4\ in. wide and l£ in. thick, of beech 
or any other hard wood, and round off the top edges 
as shown. Bore a hole about f in. deep in the block 
from the underside to receive the head of a bolt 
\ in. by 2 in. long ; then bore the smaller part of the 
hole for the shank so that the block may lie flat on 
the table and the threaded part of the bolt come 
through A. 

A sheet-iron plate (Fig. 21), 6 in. long by \\ in. 



71 



o 



Fig. 21. — Plate of Strap Cutting Appliance. 



wide and ^ m - thick, will be required, with a slot 
about I in. long in the centre to fit the bolt b (Fig. 
20). A hole is bored and countersunk at each end 
for a small screw. Another piece of sheet iron d 



$o Lea ther Working* 

(Fig. 20), 6 in. long by 2 in. wide and of any thick- 
ness, with a slot 3 in. long and \ in. wide, will be 
required to go on the bolt thread. Six slits or saw- 
kerfs, \ in. apart, \ in. deep, and wide enough for a 
knife blade to go through, are made in one edge as 
shown in Figs. 20 and 22. 

To put the parts together, first take the sheet 
iron plate c (Fig. 20), put it on the bolt, and fasten 
to the block with a screw at each end. Then put the 
piece of sheet iron d on the bolt, leaving exactly the 




Fig-. 22. —Another Plate of Strap Catting Appliance. 

width of the strap required to be cut between the 
edge of the plate c and a selected slit as e (Fig. 20). 
Screw the block to the table, and the apparatus is 
ready for cutting straps not thicker than the plate 
c (Fig. 20). 

For cutting the straps, get a sharp knife, put the 
blade through the slit e (Fig. 20), and fix firmly in 
the wood block. Then take a piece of leather and 
press the edge against the knife until the cut end, f, 
comes through to the other side of the iron. Then 
pull the leather through with the right hand, keep- 
ing the edge of the leather firmly against the sheet- 
iron plate c with the left hand. The leather should 
come through easily, otherwise packing must be 
placed between the plates c and D. A nut and 
washer should be put on the sheet-iron plate d for 
tightening up, as shown in Fig. 20. 



3i 



CHAPTER III. 

LETTER CASES AND WRITING PADS. 

This chapter will be devoted to instructions on 
making letter cases and writing pads, which have 
much in common. The first point to consider in 
making the leather letter case illustrated by Fig. 23 
is the accurate cutting of patterns ; these, as shown 
in Figs. 24 to 28, would suit a case which, when open, 
is 8 in. by 6 in., and which, when closed, measures 
6 in. by 4 in. Set out the patterns to the dimensions 
on thin cardboard or stout paper, and cut them out. 




Fisr. 23.— Letter Case. 



After cutting the pattern for the back (Fig. 24), 
round the corner at A and fold the pattern in the 
centre, bringing a to b, and cut the same to it ; then 
fold again, bringing a and b to c and d ; this enables 
the worker to cut all corners to the same shape, the 
pattern being kept true and square. The side 
pockets (Figs. 25 and 28) can be cut in a similar way, 
rounding the corners at E and G to suit A and c 



32 



Leather Working. 



(Fig. 24), and J and l (Fig. 26) to suit B and D (Fig. 
24). Prick the four holes in Fig. 25 in the position 
shown, and four similar holes in Fig. 26 ; these holes 
can be used as guides in fixing the card and stamp 
pockets. On Fig. 25 is stitched Fig. 27 to form a 
pocket for cards, Fig. 28 being stitched on Fig. 26 
to form stamp pockets. Figs. 25 and 26 are stitched 
on the back (Fig. 24). 

The most durable and suitable leather for mak- 
ing the case would be pigskin of medium substance, 
a firm piece being selected for the back. In cutting 
out, the pattern should be kept in position on the 




24.— Back of Letter disc. 



leather by a metal weight ; then with a blunt awl 
clearly mark the leather to the patterns, and with a 
shoemaker's knife or a pair of sharp scissors care- 
fully cut the leather to the lines traced, endeavour- 
ing to keep clean edges. These should next be 
dyed to a shade similar to the leather, and this can 
best be done by using a sponge bound to a stick 
with string. After dyeing the edges, with a small 
quantity of grease on a rag rub them to a finish. 

The stamp pockets (Fig. 28) must now be secured 
to Fig. 26, and to mark the position of the stitching 
a line should be made about \ in. from the outer 
edge of Fig. 28. This can be done best by running 



Letter Cases and Writing Pads. 



33 



race compasses set to \ in. around the edges from 
o to p (see Fig. 23). Divide the pattern into three 
parts, and mark two lines inside for stitching. 
Take a small quantity of glue on the finger and 




Fisr. 2o. 



Fig. 26. 



Fig?. 25 and 26.— Patterns for Side Pockets. 

smear it on the back of the leather from o to P about 
£ in. from the outer edge ; then stick the piece to 
Fig. 26, bringing the points o and p on to the holes 
marked on Fig. 26. The holes are made by placing 



iz 



■ft-* 



Fig. 27.— Card Pocket p 

Pattern. Fig. 28— Stamp Pocket Pattern. 

the paper pattern on the leather and pricking 
through with an awl. 

Proceed in exactly the same way with the fixing 
of Fig. 27 to Fig. 26. A piece of linen or twill lining 
should be pasted at the back of Figs. 25 and 26 to 
C 



34 



Lea ther Working. 



strengthen the stitching and prevent it breaking ; 
this must, of course, be done before stitching. 
Aft'er the patterns shown by Figs. 27 and 28 have 
been stitched to Figs. 25 and 26 all the stitching 
must be carefully tied and fastened off strongly. 

Then glue around the back of Fig. 25 about \ in. 
from the edge, from f to h, and stick it on Fig. 24, 
bringing the points E and G over the points A and c. 
Do the same with Fig. 26, bringing the points J and 
l over the points b and d (Fig. 24). Next mark the 
back of the case for the stitching, making a line 
about \ in. from the outer edge with compasses, and 




Pad Folded Up. 



running the line all round the back of Fig. 24. Then 
stitch and fasten off strongly at the corners of all 
pockets where marked with x (Fig. 23). If the outer 
edges overlap after the case is stitched, trim them 
with a sharp knife and dye and polish as before. 

A piece of narrow elastic can now be stitched 
across the case in the centre at the points M and n 
(Fig. 25) ; this will be useful for keeping a diary or 
notebook in position. If the leather used is pigskin 
or cowhide, and it becomes soiled, the best way to 
cleanse it is by wiping with a weak solution of 
oxalic acid, and then, when dry, polishing with a 
soft rag. 



Letter Cases and Writing Pads. 



35 



The stitching can be done on a light Singer's, 
Thomas's, or vertical-feed sewing machine, using a 
No. 18 Pearsall's silk or a 60 in. thread. The stitch 
set should not be small, about twelve stitches to the 
inch being suitable. It is advisable to set and try 
the stitch on a waste piece of leather. 

The writing pad illustrated by Figs. 29 and 30 has 
spaces for envelopes, notepaper, postcards, stamps, 
address book or diary, pen, pencil, scissors, eraser, 
and knife, and when open as shown in Fig. 30, the 
centre forms a blotting pad. 

First cut a piece of leather 28 in. by 14 in., pare 




Fig-. 30.— Writing Pad Open. 



the edges all round, and mark the leather as shown 
at a, e, and d (Fig. 31). Then cut a piece of 1^-lb. 
strawboard 12 in. by 12 in., and with thin glue fix 
as shown at E, leaving 1 in.* of leather to turn over at 
the top and bottom. Cut two pieces of strawboard 
12 in. by 6 in., and glue at A and d, leaving 1 in. of 
leather between the boards and 1 in. at the sides to 
turn over on to the board. Then glue the 1-in. 
margins of leather to the board. This will form the 
groundwork for the pad. Pieces of twill lining, 
\\\ in. by 2^ in., should be cut and fixed at the bends 
at A E and e d (Fig. 31) to strengthen them. 

Now cut a piece of leather 16 in. by Q\ in., and 



36 



Lea tiier Working. 



mark it as shown in Fig. 32 ; then cut pieces of cart- 
ridge paper and fix them as shown at x, and cut the 
top of the leather the same shape as the paper, 
leaving \ in. of leather to turn over on to the board. 
A piece of twill lining should be pasted at the back 
within | in. of the edge. Next turn the edge of the 
leather to the lining and board ; fold the leather to 
form gussets for the pockets, and, with the face of 
the leather upwards, mark 1 in. from the edge at b, 
next at 8^ in., 9| in., 13| in., and 14§ in. from the 
edge. Glue together pieces of strawboard or soft 
wood to form a mould for the paper pocket, *l\ in. by 



A 


A 




E 


f 




E 




D 


D 










! 

1 


' o"— - 




V 




-6' > 






A 


A 




E 


. 






E 




D 


D 



Fig-. 31. — Base of Writing Pad. 

4^ in., and for envelopes, 4 in. by 4£ in., and about 
| in. thick, and round off the edges of the blocks. 

In the next place cut a piece of cartridge paper 
5 in. by 3 in., and shape as shown at o (Fig. 32). 
Back this with lining, and fasten it on the leather, 
leaving § in. to turn over all round. Pare the edge 
and turn over to the lining and the paper, then cut 
the paper and lining, 2-| in. by 1 in., to shape for 
stamp pockets, and fix on the leather, leaving about 
£ in. to turn over all round. Pare the edge and turn 
as before, lightly gluing the pockets at the edge, 
and fix as shown in Fig. 32. These pockets should 
be stitched at the three sides, as shown in Fig. 33. 



Letter Cases and Writing Pads. 



37 



Next cut a piece of \-Vo. strawboard 12 in. by 6 in., 
cover with linen, and fix on a piece of leather 12^ in. 
by 8 1 in., leaving about \ in. of leather all round, 
which should be turned over and stuck on the board, 
except where marked at A. 2 in. of leather is left 
to form the bend (see Fig. 33). 




Fig. 32.— Writing Pad Pockets. 

The paper and envelope pockets, with the stamp 
and postcard pockets stitched on, should be sewn as 
shown in Fig. 33. The ends and centre of the 
pockets should then be stitched, but not the bot- 
toms. Cut the bottoms of the pockets as shown at p 
(Fig. 32), turn the two ears inside, and glue them to 
the bottoms. The piece of linen should next be cut 




Fig. 33.— Writing Pad Packets. 

11 in. by 2 in., and glued at each bend at ae and 
ed in Fig. 31. 

The pieces of leather with card and stamp, en- 
velope and pockets for papers, should be glued and 
fixed at A (Fig. 31), across the bend and to the part 
that is to form the blotting pad. Care should be 



3« 



Lea ther Working. 



taken to fix the leather well in the bends and round 
each side, and also at the edges. Next cut a piece 
of board or thin cartridge paper about 9 in. by 1 in. ; 
back this with linen, and glue and fix it on a piece 
of leather 9| in. by 2 in., leaving \ in. margin of 
leather at each side and | in. at the ends. Glue 
these margins and turn over to form loops. 

Cut pieces of paper 2^ in. by 1^ in., and leather 
3| in. by 3 in., and fasten in the same way for the 
diary. Next cut a piece of cartridge paper with 
linen at the back 4 in. by 2f in., and remove from the 



t 

To 

'-2;'- 
\ 




iLii 




II '\ ft i Li 






Fig. 3-4.— Writing 
Pad Pookets. 



Fig. 35.— Blotting Pad. 



centre a piece 3| in. by 2^ in. Fix this piece in the 
centre of a piece of leather 4^ in. by 3^ in., and cut 
from the centre a piece 2| in. by If in. Pare the 
.edges, turn over, and fix on the back of the frame. 
When this is fixed on the pad calendars can be slid 
in the spaces. 

Now cut a piece of leather 12^ in. by 8} in., and 
on it fix a piece of cartridge paper with linen at the 
back, 12 in. by 6 in., leaving \ in. of leather at the 
sides and one end. Loops for pens, scissors, etc., 
also diary and calendars, should be fixed and 
stitched as shown in Fig. 34. This should now be 
glued and fixed on in the position shown in Fig. 30 r 



Letter Cases and Writing Pads. 39 

A piece of strawboard 12 in. by 12 in. now is cut, 
and on it is pasted a piece of white watered paper, 
leaving \ in. to turn over all round. This will form 
the foundation for the blotting pad. To make the 
four corners as shown in Fig. 35, cut four pieces of 
stiff paper 4 in. by 3 in., and four pieces of leather 
4£ in. by 3 in. Pare the edges of the leather and 
stick it on the paper, turning \ in. of the leather 
over on one side. 

Take a piece of wood about 3 in. square and \ in. 
thick, place it at the corner of the foundation for 
the pad as shown at the top left-hand corner in 
Fig. 35, then lay one of the pieces to form the 
corners on top of the wood at the distance given, 
the edge where the leather is turned over being on 
top. Glue the parts that overlap and fix them a3 
shown, the wood acting as a mould for the corners. 
Fix the three other corners in the same manner, and 
cut away the parts that pucker, so as to form a flat 
surface under the pad. Next glue the foundation 
all over at the back and fix it firmly, as shown in 
Fig. 30. 

If leather has been used the appearance can be 
improved if some fancy lines on the edges of the 
pockets and the fronts and back of the pad are made 
with a crease that has been slightly heated. Next 
take a small brush, and, with a small quantity of 
dye, black the edges of the leather where it may be 
snowing white. If a polished leather has been used, 
coat it lightly with leather varnish. This should 
be applied with a fine hair brush or sponge. The 
leather most suitable to work would be a paste grain 
skiver. 



40 



CHAPTER IV. 

HAIR BRUSH AND COLLAR CASES. 

A gentleman's hair brush case is a very useful 
requisite. It is easy to cut and make, and costs 
but very little. The brushes can be bought either 
singly or in pairs, and the case made accordingly. 

Whatever kind of case is to be made, take a 
brush, lay it back downwards on a sheet of paper, 
hold it firmly, and mark it all round with a pencil ; 
this will give the form a b d c in the diagram (Fig. 
36). This can be doubled and quartered after it is 
roughly cut out, so as to get a good ellipse. Then 
take the thickness of the brush — or of the two, hair 
to hair, if the case is for a pair. Measure their cir- 
cumference, and, whatever the length, cut the pat- 
tern about 1 in. longer and about 5 in. wider. This 
is for the side and to form the lid, as e f g (Fig. 36). 

With regard to the making there are only three 
pieces needed, without the buckle and straps, and 
these are described below. 

The pattern must be folded across B c (Fig. 36) 
to get the half ; two pieces should be cut to this 
pattern, and two holes pricked to indicate where 
the halves end. When they are faced together 
prick another hole at h. Round the portion at 
bah run an iron (after damping the edge a little) 
to give it a finish. This may be a narrow, grooved 
iron, or the guard of a shoemaker's forepart or 
waist-iron will do, and after deducting the length of 
B d H (Fig. 36) from the side piece efg, mark with 
this iron round the remainder, from H, passing f. 
A strap containing a few holes can be stitched on 
f, and a strap and buckle to match in a correspond- 
ing place on e, or the one at e can be left till after 
the case is made. 



Hair Brush and Collar Cases. 41 

The leather may be lined, if desired, with brown 
or any coloured paper, and the edge of one of the 
ellipses may be placed against the end of the side 
at e and stitched, asBDCH, H being about 1 in. 
beyond the half at the back ; and then the other 
side can be treated in a like manner. 




Fi£. 36.— Hair Brush Case. 



The brush case may be made of almost anything 
that is stiff and not too stout, as pieces from jockey 
tops, etc. ; or where a fancy case is wanted, the 
pieces may be cut out in cardboard and then lined 
up with any thin leather, as Persian skiver, or any 
bookbinder's skivers, as morocco, roans, etc. ; 
similar pieces are then cut out of whatever material 
is used for the outside. This may be some fancy 



42 



Leather Working. 



embossed leather, about f in. larger all round than 
the case is going to be. This, if not very thin in 
itself, must be skived all round for a little more than 
this distance, and then pasted and turned over the 
edge of the cardboard on to the other leather. If 
this is done nicely by skiving the edge very thin and 
taking small V pieces out all round previous to 
pasting, the edge will not need stitching. If it be 




Figf. 37.— Horse-shoe Collar Box. 



stitched use bookbinder's glue instead of paste. 
When these are thus fitted, all that is necessary is 
to proceed as above. 

The threads may be of either white or yellow flax 
or hemp, and should be made wet and twisted, the 
tapers only being waxed to receive the bristles or 
needles ; or they can be made from stout carpet 
thread of any colour. Tapers to this can be made 
by untwisting the ends after taking off the length 
wanted, and scraping each strand until it is tapered ; 
then, when the whole are in this condition, wax and 



Hair Brush and Collar Cases. 43 

twist them, and put on the bristles or needles, ac- 
cording to the method of stitching to be adopted. 

A horseshoe collar-box with drawer is shown by 
Fig. 37. The drawer can be used for handkerchiefs 
or ties, and for razor and tooth-brush also, if a parti- 
tion is made along the side. 

The form for the pattern is not difficult to obtain 
if the instructions given below are followed. First 
describe a circle as A b c d (Fig. 37) ; this, for a good- 
sized box, should be about 6 in. in diameter. Draw 



&0 rji3 

Fig. 33. — Forming Drawers in Collar Box. 

a line as a b (Fig. 38), 4 in. long, touching the bottom 
of the circle at c ; mark the points a and b 2 in. on 
each side of c. The curves a d and e b can then 
be drawn, thus forming the horseshoe. A curved 
piece can be taken away to save stuff, as f, and to 
give a little more play to the drawer. 

Two of these patterns can be cut. A line is now 
drawn across the bottom as e f (Fig. 37), to form 
the lid— that is to say, if a piece of paper with a 
straight edge is put along this line and then cut 
round to the other parts of the pattern (except that 



44 



Lea ther Working. 



it must be \ in. longer), the pattern for the lid is 
produced. 

The height of the box should be from 3 in. to 
3^ in. The pattern for it will, of course, be this 
height, and as long as the distance from A, past D 
and E to b (Fig. 38) ; two sides will be needed and a 
top for the lid. When a strap has been made as long 
as the distance from d to e, past a and b, the whole 
of the outside is complete. 

As regards the drawer, it is best to draw two per- 




Fijr. 



E F 

59. — Collar Box Drawer and Lid. 



pendicular lines, as G I and h k, each at right angles 
with c. These should be carried up as high as pos- 
sible, say within about f in. of any part of the out- 
side circle, and they should be joined together either 
by the curved line u k or the straight line ilk, the 
former for preference, as it gives more room to the 
drawer, for which there will be only one piece 
needed, either tocoiH, ortoCDJ h. 

There must then be cut two sides and an end the 
length of i K. These are to form the portions shown 
in A, b, and c, in Fig. 39, the top of the lid forming 
the other end at d. 

The piece for the sides of the drawer must be the 



Hair Brush and Collar Cases. 45 

exact width of the inside of the box ; it is therefore 
best to leave this portion until the box is made. 
The lid being larger than the outside of the box, and 
the drawer having to go inside, the side of the 
drawer at A and b will not, of course, fit the lid at 
the dotted lines shown on top. It is not necessary, 
as a few stitches at e and f and along the bottom at 
D will hold it. 

As regards the manufacture or the material 
used, these are explained in connection with the 
hair-brush case already described in this chapter. 





Fig-. 41.— Block for 
Making Collar Box. 



Fig. 40.— Round Collar Box. 



The strap which is to fasten either side may be 
put on merely from lid to box, just long enough to 
buckle, or it may be in one piece, as shown by the 
handle in Fig. 37, with holes in each end for the 
buckle to go through, and then secured in each of 
the places marked at H and 1 (Fig. 37), so as to form 
it into a handle, as J. 

In making the drawer, it is as well to put the 
grain side of the leather inside and to cover the out- 
side with nice paper ; the inside of the box should 
also be covered in a like manner to keep the collars 
clean. The drawer can, if desired, be made of wood. 
No lid will be needed, as the side of the box when 
the drawer is in forms this. At a and c (Fig. 37) 



46 Lea ther Working. 

on the outside of the drawer are two elastic loops 
to hold the collars in their place while the drawer 
is being inserted. 

Fig. 40 illustrates a round^moulded collar case 6$ 
in. in diameter by 3^ in. high ; it is covered and lined 
with leather. To make it, begin by cutting a circular 
wood block (Fig. 41) 6| in. in diameter and 3| in. 
deep, the surface of which should be smooth with 
rounded corners. Cut a strip of moulding paper 
about 22 in. by 4^ in. and cut also two circular pieces 
65 in. in diameter. Glue the two ends of the long 
strip on reverse sides for about 1^ in. from the ends, 
and then wind it tightly round the block, bringing 
the glued edges over each other and joining them to 
form the band of the case. Next place the band so 







-4 ! 




di 






3 


31 






6. 




u 


.i 


-Catch Strap. 


Fig. 43.— 


11 


ag 



Fig. 4 2. —Catch Strap. Fig. 43.— Hinge Strap. 

that about § in. overlaps at each side of the block. 
Place one of the circular pieces on top of the block 
and glue the |-in. of overlap to the circular pieces, 
cuting out V -shaped pieces to get rid of puckers. 

Carry out the same operation with the other cir- 
cular piece at the bottom. The whole of the block 
should now have been covered and a foundation 
formed. Cut and add another piece of paper on the 
top, bottom, and band as before, except that the 
strip for the band should not be turned over on top 
and bottom, and that the pieces should be glued all 
over. Pieces of strawboard should be glued all over 
and stuck on top and bottom and around the mould, 
but the strip used for the bands should be pared at 
the ends where they come together, so as to make a 
neat finish. 

The whole should be left to dry. Then with a 



Hair Brush and Collar Cases. 47 

piece of glasspaper bound on wood, round off all the 
sharp corners, and roughen the surfaces so that the 
material will adhere better. The moulded part 
should now be cut. With a pair of compasses mark 
round the band about 1 in. from the top, and to this 
line with a sharp-pointed knife cut through to the 
block. The shallow part is for the lid and the other 
part for the case. 

The leather or other material to be used for the 
case should next be cut as follows — One piece for 
the top of the lid 7^ in. in diameter, one piece \ in. 
longer than the circumference and 2\ in. wide, and 
one piece of the same length but 3 in. wide. If 
leather is used, pare or thin all the edges, and also 
the back and front of the ends of the long pieces to 
ensure a neat finish. The circular piece (7j in. in 
diameter) should be fixed to the top of the lid with 
thin glue, leaving about \ in. of leather overlapping 
the edge to be turned over on to the band. Glue 
the strip 2^ in. wide and fix the edge to the edge of 
the lid, neatly overlapping the two ends about \ in. 
The I5 in. of material left should be turned inside 
the lid. 

The piece 3i in. wide should be fixed, like the lid, 
on the band of the case, leaving \ in. of material to 
turn over to the bottom and top inside the case. 
Next cut a piece the exact size of the bottom, pare 
its edge, and fix it on the outside of the case. The 
fastening should be fixed before lining the case, and 
a piece should be stitched at the back to form a 
hinge. First glue a piece of linen on some brown 
paper and cut two pieces to the dimensions given in 
Figs. 42 and 43. Then cut pieces of leather large 
enough to cover these, turning the leather over \ in. 
at each end and on the left side, and lastly £ in. on 
the right side, this making a neat finish. 

An oblong catch or purse fastening about 1 in. 
by I in. wide should be used. The hasp part of the 
catch should be fixed to Fig. 42, and the catch 



4 8 



Lea ther Working. 



should be fixed to the body of the case so that the 
hasp falls in easily when the lid is closed. The piece 
of leather shown by Fig. 43 should be fixed at the 
Lack of the case (Fig. 44), directly opposite the 
catch in front, and secured at the bottom with 
another row of stitching about 1 in. above this, with 
one row at the top edge of the lid, and again | in. 
below this. 

The case should be lined. For this, cut two cir- 
cular pieces of strawboard to fit inside, and one 




Fiff. 44.— Sack of Round Collar Box. 



strip of the same length as the circumference of the 
case inside and \ in. wider than the depth. Cut the 
material for the circular pieces about \ in. greater 
in diameter than the board, glue the same and fix 
on the board, turning \ in. over to the back of the 
board. Cover the strip of board and turn about 
\ in. of material over the edge. Pare the edge of 
the strip at the ends and glue the whole and fix it 
inside the case, bringing the edge where the 
material is turned over about \ in. above the top of 
the box, this forming a ridge to keep the lid in 
position. Next fix the two circular pieces in the lid 
and bottom of the case. If a polished leather has 
been used, lightly coat with leather varnish. 

For leather varnish, place 2| oz. of powdered 
resin and 3 oz. of shellac in 1 pt. of methylated 
spirit ; stir occasionally until dissolved, allow to 
settle, strain through canvas, and leave for twelve 
hours. The clear part should be used. Keep it 
corked up in a dry place. 



49 



CHAPTER V. 

HAT CASES. 

Solid leather hat cases are made of good stout 
shoulders and first cuts, or, rather, the portions of 
a butt that take these names for other purposes ; 
though, when they are going to be used for hat 
cases, they are specially dressed. 




Fig-. 45. — Bucket-shaped Hat Case. 

Basil hat cases cannot be of solid leather, as 
basil is so thin that it has to be backed by stout mill- 
boards. 

The diagrams given are for a bucket hat case. 
This is the most general shape, and it will take 
collars and ties, etc., as well. 

Fig. 45 gives a back view of the hat case closed, 

D 



5° 



Lea ther Working. 



while Fig. 46 shows the front open, with portion 
taken away to show how and where the inner case, 
which is to hold the hat, is to go. The case must be 
oval, not round, and the top may be flat or curved 
(as abc, Fig. 46). Directions for lining will be 
given, but this is done, of course, to taste. 

Cut out the shape of all the pieces first in paper ; 
then cut the leather to them, with as little waste as 
possible. For a curved top the dimensions of the 




Fig - . 46. — Hat Case shown Diagrammatically. 



patterns are as follows : Top, cut oval (as a c b d, 
Fig. 45), VZ\ in. by 13^ in. The bottom must be 8^ in. 
from d to E (Fig. 46), and 9^ in. from f to G. A 
strap is sewn at e (Fig. 45), and is 25 in. long from 
E, and goes past f and c, to lock on the front, and is 
\\ in. wide. The sides of the case can be cut so that 
the seam comes under this strap, back and front. 
There will have to be two pieces cut to this pattern. 
The shape will be as Fig. 47, and the dimensions 
15iin., A to B ; 19^ in., c to D ; 8f in., E to f ; and 7 in. 



Hat Cases. 



5 1 



from a to c and b to d. To form g h in Fig. 45, cut 
four straight or slightly curved strips, 20| in. by 2 in. 
For the handle cut two pieces as Fig. 48, 10^ in. long, 
1| in. wide in the centre, the ends being of any 
shape and width desired. 

A band for I and J (Fig. 45) may be cut as G h, 
only narrower ; this band is not necessary, but if 
made, the width of it must be taken off the sides at 
c f d (Fig. 47) to make up for it. Three strips about 
3 in. by 1 in. are needed for loops K L (Fig. 45) and b 
(Fig. 46). Take the two sides (Fig. 47), and fasten 
them together at a c and b d, letting the stitches 




(q >aj j£ 



g ~^|P:B o) 



Fia:. 48. — Hat-case Handle. 



A 



Fig. 47.— Half Side of Hat Case. Fig. 49.— Sewn Seam. 

be as the curved line at a (Fig. 49) ; this will give the 
wall, or side of the case. Then shave off an angular 
piece from all round the flesh side of the bottom, and 
a corresponding piece from the inside of the bottom 
of the pieces, which should be just seamed together. 
Then turn upside down, and fit the bottom in, as A 
on b (Fig. 50), and stitch it all round, as shown by 
the line at c. 

Now cut a piece of light millboard to fit the 
bottom inside, and another piece to fit round the 
side, twice the size of Fig. 47. Glue these together 
at the side, at A c. The millboard should just nicely 
fit in the case, and should be skived and allowed to 
lap to make a smooth seam. Line this with red 
glazed lining, 1 in. of which should be left at top 
and bottom to turn over. Glue a piece of lining on 



5 2 Leather Working. 

to the bottom board, leaving 1 in. over all round. 
Notch it all round about \ in. apart, lay it on the 
bottom of the side lining, and glue it down. Then 
glue a strip 2 in. wide all round over this, letting 
half be on the bottom and half on the side. 

While the lining is drying, take a strip of the 
board, 2 in. wide and curved to fit outside the top of 
the lining and inside the edge of the case, as h h h h 
(Fig. 46). Cover it with the lining, bringing the two 
edges to the bottom. Next damp the inside of the 
case, slightly glue it and the outside of the lining, 
and put it in its place in the case ; it will stand up 
about \ in. above the case. Now put the board rim 
between the two, letting it stand a good inch above 
the case, as shown by h h h h, and then stitch right 
through the lot. Sometimes the top edge of the 
case is bound with a narrow strip of thin leather, 
but it may be prepared and finished off without. 

The lid is made in the same way, only the lining 
of the rim G H (Fig. 45), is not so thick, and the edge 
of the lining and edge of the rim must be flush with 
each other, and the top can be lined with quilted 
satin. Before the lining is inserted the handle must 
be put on. 

To make the handle, take the two pieces (Fig. 
48), put them together, and place two other pieces 
of the same material between them, letting one 
come from a to b, and the other from c to D, skiving 
or tapering them off at ends to nothing, and also 
skiving a litle off the edges at e f. 

Only the top piece need be cut out to the shape 
desired, as the others can be trimmed to it after it 
has been stitched all round. After it is stitched and 
shaped, punch a hole in each end at m and N (Fig. 
45), and put a brass-headed rivet in each. Do the 
same with two short, narrow straps which are to 
go across to stay the handle atop; or instead of 
using rivets all may be stitched down. This is for a 
fixed handle ; for a loose one, m and n will not want 



Hat Cases. 



53 



punching, and must be a good deal wider, o and p 
must then be well secured at each end to prevent 
m and N slipping through ; or pieces of brass, raised 
in the centre just to admit of the thin part of the 
handle passing backwards and forwards, may be 
used, k and l may also be of brass, if desired ; but 
leather is more in keeping with the character of the 
case, and is therefore worth the extra trouble. The 
shape of these small leather or brass brackets is 
shown at Fig. 51. 




Fig 1 . 51. — Bracket for 
Handle and Strap 
Strides. 



Inner Hat Case. 



The lock is put on the front, opposite to l 
(Fig. 46), and its catch is riveted to the ends of the 
strap. The lid does not come right off ; and the 
strap, between K and L, forms a loose sort of hinge. 

The inner case (Fig. 52) is very simple, but should 
be made to take a hat of any size. This is cut from 
cardboard, and covered with the lining. Take a 
piece of cardboard, 12| in. by 13^ in. at least, and 
from the centre cut a piece out, 8^ in. by 7^ in. ; this 
piece will form the bottom at Fig. 52, and the piece 
that is left can be cut across the centre to form the 
two half -rims, as A b. 



54 Leather Working. 

The length of cd can now be ascertained by 
measuring round the piece which is to be the bot- 
tom. Only 1 in. can be left to form the seam, and 
the width of the inner case will have to be 1\ in. 
This will be at a b ; but, after it is seamed up, it 
can be gradually cut down from these points at each 
side to a width of 6-| in. 

The inside of this inner case may be covered with 
the lining, which should be turned over to the out- 
side, top and bottom. The bottom piece, covered 
on one side, as explained above, for the inside lining 
of the leather case, c d (Fig. 52), may now be 
covered outside. The lining should be turned round 
the top and over at the bottom, and a piece put over 
the bottom for a finish, and just stood in the case ; 
A and b should be trimmed at the sides to allow the 
inner case to fit inside the outer one. 

The top of the sides may be covered with quilted 
satin, puffed a little with wadding, and finished off 
on the under side with lining. The quilted satin is 
only just secured on each side, which can be done 
by folding a piece of the lining and stitching it to 
the satin underneath f and the opposite side (let- 
ting a and b be \ in. apart), and about f in. wider. 
This should be left on towards the centre, so that 
it may be stitched along the top of c d at G and h. 

This must be done so as to leave A and b quite 
free to be lifted up, as shown at I J, so that when in 
the case collars, etc., can be put in the spaces be- 
tween the inner and outer cases shown at I and J 
(Fig. 46). 

A piece of ^-in. elastic, with an old-fashioned 
garter-fastener in the centre, must be put across 
from K to L (Fig. 46) to hold the inner case contain- 
ing the hat in its place. 



55 



CHAPTER VI. 

BANJO AND MANDOLINE CASES. 

A banjo case, or a case for any similar instrument, 
can scarcely be made too well, as it often undergoes 
a lot of rough usage ; it fits so close to the instru- 
ment it is designed to protect, that, if badly made, 
or made of common or unsuitable leather, it forms a 
covering only, and is not really a protection. This 
chapter will therefore explain how to make a good, 
strong, solid leather case, such as, in fact, it would 
not be possible to buy at any shop, unless made 
specially to order. 

It will be seen that in giving the patterns for the 
various parts of two different shaped cases, they are 
so placed together in Figs. 53 and 54 as to enable 
them to be cut from a strip of leather with the least 
possible waste — an important consideration in cut- 
ting up leather. First measure the banjo, or lay it 
on a sheet of paper, and cut the bottom pattern to 
it, as A, in Fig. 53, leaving, of course, a margin 
all round ; and then cut the other parts, as there 
shown, placing them together in a like manner. It 
will now be seen how much stuff will be required. 

The height of the banjo must be ascertained to 
determine the thickness of the case ; the smaller all 
parts can be got, the better will be the fit and the 
cheaper the case. 

As a good illustration of the shapes and their 
positions given in the diagrams, only a few hints 
will be needed as to the method of making it. 

Suppose the work is done from measurements. 
Take the exact length of the banjo, the width of rim 
including brackets, height of highest portion as it 
lies upon a flat surface, and the width of the key- 



56 Leather Working. 

board. Letting the rim measure be the diameter, 
describe a circle to it ; take from a portion of this 
circumference the width of the keyboard, then draw 
two lines the length of the handle, asMN; the 
length of these can be ascertained by drawing the 
length of the banjo as o l, and making the M and n 
meet the line l. This clone, allow \ in. all round, 
and cut out this, the bottom pattern ; then cut 
another to it, but \ in. longer, for the lid. 

Cut B the width of the measurement previously 
alluded to as the height, and the length can be 
found as follows : Suppose the width of rim to be 
12 in., the circumference would be about 36 in. ; 
b would therefore be this length less the distance 
between m and n. And the same rule will apply to 
F for the rim of the lid, but it will be longer, as the 
circumference is larger. The length of the two 
sides can be obtained by measuring from P, past N 
and q, to L, where these two (c and d) may join ; and 
this rule will again apply to G and h for the lid ; or 
they need only be cut the length of p to Q, and a 
piece joined on the end (at each corner) as I. The 
handle J can be cut to any shape desired, and can 
easily be cut from the spare corner shown. This 
completes all the outer pieces for the case shown 
in Fig. 55. 

The whole of the inside of the banjo case may be 
covered with any coloured baize or flannel, the 
edges of which should be turned in so that it is just 
a shade smaller than the above patterns. This lining 
should be glued into its place after the case is made. 
The stitches in nearly the whole of these cases are 
made as shown in Fig. 56. This is not at all diffi- 
cult, and can be done either with harness-makers' 
needles or with a thread as used by shoemakers ; 
the latter is the stronger, as only a very small hole 
is needed. 

The small box for strings, etc., may be made 
from stout cardboard, and covered with the lining ; 



Banjo and Mandoline Cases. 



57 








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. 00 










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it is put in in the same way, and can, of course, be 
fastened with buckles and straps, clasps, or lock 
and key, though if properly fitted it may be left 



58 



Lea ther Working. 



without. The piece taken out between a b (Fig. 55) 
is to receive the finger when the box is being 
opened. 

The handle may be stitched on or fastened by 
two copper rivets at c and d. Two straps and 
buckles, one at e and another at f, will hold on the 
lid, which may be fastened with lock and key, clasp, 
or another strap and buckle. 

The banjo case shown in Fig. 57, of which Fig. 54 
gives the parts in section, is a very handy shape, 
and is a little cheaper to cut. 

In this case the top and bottom are the same size 
and shape, as shown by a and b. The pattern should 
be obtained in the same way as before, but it will 








_7 




a A Q 








°B 


i 


F/ 



Fig. 55. — Bottom of Banjo Case. 



A 



Fig. 56. — 

Corner of 
Banjo Case. 



not need to be quite so long — that is to say, only 
from i to J (Fig. 54). It will be seen, by reference 
to Fig. 57, that the lid should cover only about 2 in. 
of case as at A. It will be found that about 2 in. or 
more in the sides of the lid can be saved by cutting, 
as here shown, some of the one out of the other, as 
F and E (Fig. 54). The other sectional parts of this 
illustration are the two sides c and d, and e and f, 
the top and bottom of the lid ; G, the side of the lid, 
and h the handle. 

The dotted lines in A and b show how a pattern of 
the lid can be obtained, the outer one being cut to 
the portion of the circle it is to cover, and the inner 
ones to any shape you wish, but the narrower it is 



Banjo and Mandoline Cases. 



59 



at e and I the more economical the cutting, c and 
d should be cut long enough to form the whole of 
the sides and the end, as each shown here will come 
from b to c (Fig. 57). g, in Fig. 54, is for the rim of 
the lid, and is cut about 2 in. or 3 in. longer than 
the lid , this end is left on one side, to be stitched 
to the case at d (Fig. 57), and forms a good hinge. 
h, in Fig. 54, is the handle, and should be attached 
to the case as shown above. The remaining pieces 
will be needed for buckle-straps and loops. 



w- 



Fig. 58. — Corner 
Split and 
Butted. 




Banjo Case with End Lid. 



Where the leather is required to be turned to an 
angle, as at e (Fig. 57), a piece must be taken out of 
the leather about halfway through on the wrong 
side ; and when one is required as at f, give one 
straight cut halfway through ; they can then be 
tapped down on an angular piece of wood. 

Another very good way of making the seams at 
the corners is to take the top and bottom, or all the 
sides, and draw a line all round with a pair of com 
passes about y«y in. in from the edge, and from this 
line make holes all round ; put the point in at this 



6o 



Lea ther Working. 



line, and bring it out at the edge of the leather 
about two-thirds of the way through, as shown by 
A in Fig. 58. It will now be seen that B is the other 
piece of leather, and that when the two are put 
together to form a corner, as a and B, and while A 
is butted against B, the awl is put in at A and pushed 
through till it comes out at b. This makes a very 
solid corner. 

In putting this banjo case together, it must be 
lined up first, care being taken to line it firmly, as 
it cannot be done afterwards without undoing the 




Fi£. 60. — Mandoline in Case. 



stitches. Strings, etc., should be kept in a small 
box covered with baize, which should be placed in- 
side the banjo prior to putting it in the case. 

For the above the leather is cut and enough stuff 
allowed to admit of an angular piece being taken 
off all the corners, so that the portions which are to 
be stitched can be laid together as in Fig. 59. 

The method of making a mandoline case in 
American cloth, with bound and turned-in edges, 
will now be explained ; the method to be adopted 
when leather is used will be self-suggestive. 

In Fig. 60 at A is given a portion of the body of 
the mandoline standing out of the case, to show 
how it is put into the case and the way the case is 
made. Looking at a case of this shape it might be 



Banjo and Mandoline Cases. 



61 



thought that the mandoline is put in so that the 
strings come next to the lid, whereas it is laid in on 
its side, one side being at the bottom, as shown by 
the dotted lines b. 

The method of cutting the pattern will depend 
on the size and exact construction of the mandoline ; 
but by way of example the sizes in inches of various 
parts at different points of a case for an ordinary 
mandoline are given. These dimensions will re- 
quire slightly modifying for instruments of other 
shapes and sizes. 

Take a piece of paper, the left-hand top corner 
of which must be a right angle, as A (Fig. 61). Mark 
a point at c along the top 24^ in. from A ; draw c D 




1. 
Fig. 61. — Elevation of Mandoline Case. 

at right angles to a c, and e f parallel to c d at a 
distance of about one-fifth of the distance from A to 
c. Make f e 8^ in. long. A line is drawn from A to 
B, which should be 3f in. long, and another drawn 
from b to G — that is about a quarter of the length, 
and parallel with A c. From this point draw the 
curve g h e j. From H to I the distance will be 
about 5^ in. The point J, where the curve ends, is 
about 4 in. from c, on the line c d. The line k l 
should be about 2 in. long, and indicates the edge 
of the rim of the lid. 

The next pattern is the top of the lid, 24| in. long 
from A to B (Fig. 62), 6| in. from c to d, and 3^ in. 
from e to f. The next is for the bottom. This is 
cut in the same way as for the lid, only, as it has 
to go round the curves, it will need to be 32^ in. long 



62 



Lea ther Working. 



from a to b (Fig. 63). c d must be 6f in., and e f 
3j in. long. The end piece is next cut ; this should 
be 3| in. by 3 in., as shown in Fig. 64, while the 
handle should be cut as shown in Fig. 62 at G. Two 




Fig. 62.— Top of Mandoline Case. 

pieces the same width as a c k l (Fig. 61), one the 
length of c d, the other of e f (Fig. 62), are required, 
and the whole of the patterns are cut. 

To each of these patterns cut pieces of stout 
strawboard — one to each piece — excepting Fig. 61, 
to which two pieces must be cut. These, when the 
whole are cut, may be temporarily fastened together 
in their proper places by strips of gummed paper, 
in order to test their correctness, and the mandoline 
should be tried to see if it fits before finishing the 
making of the case. If everything is satisfactory, 
put a mark on the outside of each piece so that they 
may not get mixed. 

It is best to line the insides first. This can be 
done with baize, striped union, or any material or 
colour preferred, and this may be stuck on with 




Fig. 63.— Bottom of Mandoline Case. 

bookbinders' paste. Take one side, as Fig. 61, and 
the lid (Fig. 62), and lay them with their widest sides 
together, so that they are about \ in. apart, not 
more. Paste the lining on to these and let it dry ; 



Banjo and Mandoline Cases. 63 

serve the inside of each piece the same, doing these 
one at a time ; then pare the edges of the lining off 
to the edge of the board, except in the first instance, 
where the lid and side are joined together. 

Now the outside is covered in the same way with 
American cloth, and trimmed off at the edges, if the 
edges and corners are to be bound, as will be ex- 
plained later. If they are only to be stitched 
through (a very nice, neat way), the American cloth 
is left on \ in. all round, pasted, and turned over on 
to the lining. When done in this way, the corner 
seams should be made as Fig. 65 at A, letting B and 
c be the stitch, which is set right through to catch 
the edges of everything. This would also mean 







Fig. 64. Fig. 65. Fig. 66. 

Fig. 64.— Mandoline Case End Piece. Fig. 65.— Binding 
Corner of Case. Fig. 66. — Stitching Corner of Case. 

stitching or felling all the other edges down, as on 
the lid, at c, d, e (Fig. 60), and also the three edges 
of the body at f, g, and h. 

The lid and one side may be covered at the same 
time, and if the lining and the outer covering are 
pasted well together, they form a good solid hinge 
for the lid, which is much better than having a 
movable lid. The corners that will have to be 
stitched through are 1, J, k, l, m, n, and (Fig. 60). 

If the lining and covering has been done with a 
raw edge, a long strip of basil or persian, about 
I in. wide, must be damped and folded down the 
centre, grain side out. Lay this on the corners, as 
A (Fig. 66), put the awl in at b, and bring it out at c, 
so that it catches all the edges in the stitching. 



64 Lea ther Working. 

Another long strip will then be needed for the 
binding of the plain edges. This will need to be 
only \ in. wide, but it may be wider if desired. It 
must be lapped over the edges c, d, e (Fig. 60), and 
also f, g, h, and the awl put in at one edge of the 
binding and brought out at the other, near each 
edge, but the stitching must catch both edges. It is 
best to put these on so that there is no join at the 
corners, as for instance at F and H, as it will help 
to keep the body and lid in shape and thus make it 
more durable. If it is wished to make a better or 
prettier cover, instead of using American cloth, use 
thin leather, as patent seal, etc., or a fancy stamped 
roan. 

The handle .is put on at h and 1 (Fig. 62) with 
leather or brass slides. The case may be fastened 
with a spring or ordinary lock, letting the lock be on 
the case, as n (Fig. 61), and the hasp on the lid as m. 
On the back, under the lid, inside at o (Fig. 60), 
there will be a space at the back of the neck or 
handle of the mandoline. This can be made use of, 
as a little box could be fitted here to carry string, 
etc. ; or two narrow straps, some little distance 
apart, may be affixed to take a small pocket-book ; 
and just above the same place, on the lid, a narrow 
strip may be stitched on, well fastened at each end 
with a stitch here and there, about \ in. apart, to 
put the plectrums in. 

If the case is made of American leather cloth, 
the stitches need not be very short — say three to the 
inch — and the thread may be made from stout 
carpet thread, with tapers made as has been ex- 
plained and fastened on to harness-makers' needles, 
and the holes made with a fiat, diamond-shaped awl. 

See that the case is quite dry before the man- 
doline is put into it, or the steel strings will be 
injured. 



65 



CHAPTER VII. 

BAGS. 



This chapter will deal with the methods of making 
leather bags of five chief kinds— brief, lady's hand, 
Gladstone, and tennis. This by no means exhausts 
the subject, but the bags chosen are representative, 
and, following the instructions given, it should not 
be difficult to make a bag of any other shape after 
thoroughly examining it. 

The two most useful sizes for brief bags are un- 
doubtedly 12-in. and 14-in. Like Gladstone bags 
and some other kinds, the difference in length be- 




Fig-. 67.— Brief Bag. 

tween any two consecutive sizes of brief bags is 
generally 2 in. The sizes usually kept in stock are 
10 in., 12 in., 14 in., and 16 in., but any size under, 
above, or between these can be obtained to order. 
In width and depth brief bags differ consider- 
ably. In those 12 in. long the width of the bottoms 
varies from 3i in. to 5i in., and in 14-in. bags i in. 
excess over these measures is allowed, the differ- 
ence in depth being in proportion ; the sides of the 
smallest size measure anything between 7 in. and 
10 in., and in the other 7$ in. to lOf in. It being 
always easier to reduce than to enlarge a pattern, 

E 



66 



Lea ther Working. 



and more convenient generally to have a bag 
slightly too small, the dimensions given in this 
article will be the largest, in proportion to the 
length, and may be reduced as desired. 




Fig-. 68.— Narrower Brief Bag-. 

Fig. 67 shows a bag well proportioned ; Fig. 68 
is much narrower at the bottom, and not so deep. 

The way to cut out the patterns for either of 
these bags is to open the frame as in Fig. 69, and 
lay it perfectly flat on the bench, and with a rule 
measure it carefully between the corners A A and 
b b. The frame will be found to be slightly less at 
B b, owing to this part closing into the other half, 
and the difference must be allowed for in cutting 
out the leather. In both bags the distance between 
G G (Fig. 70) and d d (Fig. 71) is the same. 




Fig. 69.— Brief Bag- Frame. 

The dimensions in the diagrams are given for a 
12-in. bag, and will measure 12 in. by 10 in. by 5 in. 
when finished. A bag is always measured at the 
frame, and the length of the bottom should always 



Bags. 



67 



be 1 in. more than this. Get a sheet of thin brown 
paper, and fold it in the middle. Mark it correctly 
the exact depth and half the distances between G G 
and h h, and cut through the double paper. This 



F 



r.R 



hi 



I3T-- 



Fig. 70.— Pattern for Side of Bag-. 

ensures both sides of the pattern taking the same 
curve at the swelled part. 

The pattern in Fig. 70 is for the sides, and should 
measure along the top llf in., and at the bottom 
13| in. Next measure the frame from A to B for the 
gusset (Fig. 71). The distance will be found to be 
8 in. ; but if closed it will be quite 8^ in., "the hinge 
of the frame making this difference. Therefore cut 
the gusset 8| in. from d to D, 10 in. from E to E, and 
5j in. at the bottom, f f. The depth of the gusset 
will be 10 in. only. Then, when the seams d f and 




Gusset Pattern. 



Fig-. 72.— Gusset Stiffen- 
ing Pattern. 



g h are made, all ends will be level. The pattern for 
the bottom will measure 13J in. by 5^ in. All seams 
are allowed for. 

To cut out the bag, lay the leather on the bench, 



68 



Leather Working. 



grain side down, and see that the patterns are 
placed on it so that the grain marks will all run in 
the same direction when the bag is made up. Cut 
out the sides first, and, as they are more exposed 
than any other part, they should be taken from the 
best part of the leather. 

Take the gussets next, then the bottom ; the 
welt pieces may be cut from the thinnest part of 
what is left. 

Begin sewing the bag by taking one of the sides 
and one gusset. Place them face to face, so that 
d and g and f and h meet respectively, placing a 
welt piece between the edges, and stitching with a 
good waxed thread made of four-cord No. 9 patent 



o 


1 




o 


o 


en 
i 


o 
iei-- 


o 



Fig. 73.— Bag Bottom Pattern. 




Fig. 74. — Bag Lining and 
Pocket. 



hemp. When the four seams joining together the 
sides and gussets are finished, sew in the bottom, 
putting a welt piece in these seams also. 

The bag will now be ready for turning, and the 
corners must be well worked out and tapped down 
with a hammer previous to putting in the stiffenings. 

For the side stiffenings take an 8-oz. strawboard, 
and cut two pieces \ in. less all round than the 
pattern used in cutting out the leather. The bottom 
stiffening will be about 12f in. long by 4| in. wide, 
and must be cut from a 2-lb. strawboard. Fig. 72 
shows the pattern for stiffening the gussets. Cut 
this from a 16-oz. strawboard. The bottom stiffen- 
ing must be glued in first, and the studs put through 
and fastened down as in Fig. 73. See that the 



Bags. 69 

stiffening fits firmly every part within the seams, 
and rub it well down with the rubbing bone before 
the glue sets. 

In cutting out the gusset stiffenings, the distance 
from a to c when they are in position as shown by 
dotted lines (Fig. 71) must be rather more than the 
distance from A to c on the frame (Fig. 69). If the 
glue should show signs of setting too rapidly, a tea- 
spoonful of treacle added to \ lb. of glue will be 
found effectual. Use a large brush, hot glue, and 
get the stiffenings into position quickly. 

For covering the frame, take a nice thin piece of 
hide (persian works better), cut a strip 20 in. long by 
4 in. wide for covering the largest half, and another 
strip 19 in. long by 2j in. wide for the other half. 
The frame in this case will be covered all over, as 
shown in Fig. 68, and the edges of the covering must 
be brought to that side of the frame which will be 
out of sight when the bag is finished. Use good 
paste, and fix the key-plate and handle-plates in 
position before pasting the covering to the under 
side of frame. The method of making the handle 
and fixing the plates to the frame, besides much 
other useful information, is given when describing 
how to make a Gladstone bag (see pp. 73 to 83). 

Any kind of lining— roan, skiver, or linen twill — 
may be chosen, and in cutting it out of the same pat- 
terns used for the outside will do. A pocket must 
be formed on one of the sides, as shown in Fig. 74. 
To do this, cut the lining as shown by dotted lines 
K k, and finish at each end in the form of the letter 
V The edges thus produced are pasted down 
inside ; this makes a good opening to the pocket. A 
piece of material like the lining is put on to the 
back, cut large enough to receive the stitching, and 
the pocket is formed by stitching the three sides 
and above the opening for the same. 

When the lining is finished, place it inside the 
bag, pocket side opposite the lock, and glue to the 



7° Leather Working. 

bottom and round the top of the bag. Trim off any- 
excess of lining here, and prepare to sew the bag 
to the frame. Start at one of the corners, either a 
or b, and fix on a tab when sewing b side, to open it 
by. See that all seams meet before starting to 
stitch, and use black flax in making threads for this 
part. At x (Fig. 68) a fulness of the gusset is shown, 
which must be made in framing this part ; this 
allows the bag to close easily, as before mentioned, 
and causes no strain to the hinges. 

The frames, as well as the material, for making 
ladies' bags are very different from those used in 
making brief bags, and there is a much greater 
variety of each. For instance, ladies' bags are 
made in russia, roan, morocco, pressed grains, and 
leather cloth, besides many special kinds of fancy 
leathers and other materials. There is also quite a 
variety of frames used, from the plain japanned to 
the elaborate nickel or gilt, with mounts to corre- 
spond. 

In buying a frame it will be advisable to get a 
few pins with it for riveting the parts together. 

If an old bag is at hand the same size and style 
as the one it is desired to make, take patterns of 
all the parts, then lay them in order on a large sheet 
of paper, to serve as a guide in selecting a skin of 
suitable size. Take care not to buy too small a 
skin, or one which would leave a lot of surplus on 
hand. 

Morocco, roan, or russia bags are usually lined 
with leather. This may be either persian or a 
good skiver, either of which may be obtained in 
fancy colours. For a single bag, a small persian 
would perhaps be the most economical to buy. The 
largest pieces for the bag should be cut out first, 
and from the best part of the skin. 

The sizes of pieces required for a 10-in. square 
pattern bag are as follow : One piece, 17 in. by 10 in., 
forming one side, bottom, and pocket on the other 



Bags. 71 

side. The flap which completes this side is cut 6 in. 
by 10 in. Four pieces for the stiffened portion of 
the ends must be cut 6 in. by 2 in. each, and the 
flexible portions forming the gussets 6^ in. on each 
side, 5^ in. at the top, and 1-in. only at the bottom. 
The shape of these two pieces is almost triangular. 
One 2-in. by 6-in. piece is laid on each 6^-in. side, 
and the parts are stitched together, leaving the 
5^ in. to be riveted to the frame, and the 1-in. part 
for seaming to the bottom of the bag. 

A piece of American cloth is generally used for 
that side of the bag covered by the flap and pocket. 
Narrow strips of leather of the same kind as that 
used for the bag are stitched on each side of this to 
prevent the cloth being seen beneath each end of 
the flap. These must be cut 1 in. wide by 5 in. long, 
and must be stitched to the cloth before the side 
seams are made. The flap is made up quite separ- 
ately from the bag. The lower corners of this are 
sligntly rounded, and a piece of American cloth is 
cut the same size for the back and to provide the 
casing for the springs to slide in. 

The spring pieces are cut \ in. wide by 3 in. long, 
and good black elastic, | in. wide, is stitched to one 
end of each, the other end of the leather being 
rounded and the fastener riveted on to it. The 
counterpart of this fastener — or stud — is riveted on 
to the pocket. The flap must be neatly bound with 
thin leather cut f in. wide, which provides a good 
surplus for the underside, and ensures the stitching 
taking a good hold of the bottom edge. All the 
stitching may be done by any domestic sewing 
machine, as the material is in no case very heavy. 
The lines on the flap are creased with a tool, re- 
ferred to in previous chapters, heated and worked 
along in a straight line. 

In seaming the body and ends of the bag 
together, place a narrow welt piece between them, 
<?n that when the bag is turned the welt will show. 



72 Leather Working. 

When the bag has been turned, stiffen the bottom 
and sides as directed, and put four nickel clamps 
or nails in the four corners of the bottom. The 
leather of the flap should also be stiffened with good 
brown paper before being made up. 

To rivet the frame to the bag,- fix the four 
corners first, the flap being put in with the rest, and 
on the same side of the frame as the pull-piece to 
the lock catch. The lining is also riveted in at the 
same time. This lining is not cut the same as the 
outside leather, but in three pieces only — one piece 
is cut the full width of the bag, and extends from 
the frame on one side to the other. The ends or 
gussets are each in one piece. The elastic springs 
should also be stitched at the top of the flap to 
prevent pulling away in use. 

Two plates of metal are sold with each frame — 
in fact, form a part of it — to hide the cut edges at 
the top of the bag, and also to receive the burr 
formed in riveting the pins. These are made exactly 
the same shape as the frame itself. 

For riveting the parts together a few tools are 
essential, but these are not very expensive ; they 
include a fine round awl for piercing the leather in 
passing through the pins, a pair of small wire 
cutters such as are used by watchmakers, and a 
1-oz. hammer. In the bag trade special irons are 
used for riveting on, but an excellent substitute 
will be found in a small iron foot (such as is used 
in boot repairing) supported by a suitable stand. 

Having fixed the four corners so that the seams 
on each side meet perfectly, pass the pins through 
the holes near the hinges and rivet them ; then 
through the holes near the lock and catch, and com- 
plete it by working alternately on each side of these. 
Do not leave too much metal for burring down, or 
the pins will bend, and fresh ones will have to be put 
in ; also avoid cutting them too short to form a head. 
The " toe " of the iron foot is placed under each pin- 



Bags. 73 

head, and the bag held in a horizontal position 
whilst being riveted. 

Handles for ladies' bags are always made much 
longer than for other bags, to permit of their being 
carried on the arm. The usual length is 10 in. 
Cut two pieces of leather, each 10 in. by 1 in. Stout 
cord covered with brown paper is used as a filling. 
Cut a piece of paper, 10 in. wide, wet it, lay the 
cord evenly along one end, and begin to roll the 
cord within the paper. 

A perfectly level table or bench is the best for 
rolling it on. Be careful to get the first few turns 
tight, then place the hands on the roll and keep 
working it until it is quite firm ; then lay on one 
side to dry. The tapering ends are made by peeling 
off a portion of the paper, commencing at the 
middle, and increasing as the ends are neared. 
Paste the leather covering over this, so that the 
edges meet evenly on each side ; then stitch and 
trim them. Pare the ends before placing them in 
the fittings attached to the frame, and secure them 
in their places by passing through a pin and riveting 
its end. 

Of Gladstone bags the most convenient size for 
ordinary use is the 22 in. one. This will hold a coat 
or a pair of trousers folded once over ; with an 
18-in. or 20-in. bag two folds generally have to be 
made. Much larger sizes prove very cumbersome 
to carry. 

Two of the chief evils to which a Gladstone bag 
is liable are (1) a broken frame and (2) unstitching 
of the seams. The first of these is caused, in nearly 
every instance, by careless usage ; the second may 
be due to common thread being used in joining the 
parts together. Nearly all kinds of bags are 
machine sewn, and chiefly with very thin thread ; 
black bags are sewn with a thread of that colour, 
which soon becomes rotten, owing to the dye used 
in its manufacture. It is very essential, in making 



74 



L EA THER WOR KING. 



a bag, to use a good waxed thread for the seams to 
ensure the work being permanent. 




Fig. 75. — Gladstone Bag". 

Cheap leather should not be used, for not only 
do the frame and fittings cost the same, but the 
cheap material requires more care and skill in its 




Another Gladstone Bag. 



manipulation ; moreover, it will not last a quarter 
the time that one made of good leather will. Very 



Bags. 



75 



few brown bags are waterproof ; and sometimes, 
after being out in a drenching rain, a brown bag will 
be so sodden with wet that it takes a long time to 
get dry, and the stiffening curls or comes away in 
places, causing an unsightly appearance. With 
ena,melled cowhide there is not this risk, and, when 
used with care, it will preserve its glossiness for 
years. 

Fig. 75 shows a Gladstone bag with full fittings. 
a indicates lock and plate ; b, handle plates ; c, 
strap loops ; d, slides ; e, shoes. A 22-in. frame with 
these fittings costs 2s. 6d. Fig. 76 shows the interior 
of a bag with the necessary straps, etc. ; this bag 
has a lock at each end of frame, and has no slides. 

Strawboard in three different weights will be 



A 



Fig. 77. — Rubbing Bone or 
Stick. 



Fig. 78. — Stiffening for 
Bag Division. 



required ; it costs Id. per lb. One 2-lb. board for 
the bottom, about four 16-oz. boards for stiffening 
the sides and cutting patterns, and two 8-oz. for 
stiffening the bands. Six nails to protect the 
bottom ; 2 1-in. buckles for outside straps ; half 
dozen f-in. buckles for inside straps ; a ball each 
of brown, yellow, and black flax ; and 3 yds. oi 
twill lining will also be necessary. 

A few simple tools will be required — a clamp to 
hold the work for sewing (the worker can make these 
as explained in Chapter I. of " Harness Making ,; ) ; 
two or three different sized awls in handles ; a 
pennyworth each of No. 1 and No. 4 harness 
needles ; a clicker's knife ; and a bone the same 
shape as Fig. 77 for rubbing down the stiffenings. 



7 6 Leather Working. 

If this latter cannot be obtained, a piece of hard, 
straight-grained wood, filed to shape, answers the 
purpose nearly as well. The glue brush should be 
quite 2 in. in diameter at the band. A paint brush 
thoroughly cleaned will do, but every particle of 
paint must be washed out. A gluepot of suitable 
size for the brush — say, a No. 4 or No. 5— can be 
bought at any large ironmonger's. 

In making the Gladstone bag, the first thing to 
do is to get out the patterns. Take one of the 
16-oz. strawboards, lay the closed frame on it, and 
mark evenly round and along the wire at the bottom. 
Cut this out with a large pair of scissors, and the 
pattern for the sides is ready. The pattern for the 
bottom must be 21| in. by 9 in. For the division 



^ZF 



Fig. 79. Fig. 80. 

Fig. 79.— Leather Pocket. Fig. 80.— Pocket Flap, Fig. 81.— 
Buckle Chape. 



pattern for the sides, and shape it as in Fig. 78 if a 
frame with single lock and slides is used. A pat- 
tern for the pocket (Fig. 79), and one for the flap 
(Fig. 80), must also be cut, and if fancy buckle 
chapes (Fig. 81) are used, a pattern of these should 
be cut. 

In cutting these smaller patterns, it is a good 
plan to cut one first by folding a piece of thin paper 
(Fig. 82, pocket-flap pattern folded) ; mark and cut 
it so that when it is opened both sides of the pattern 
are alike. Paste this on to the straw-board, and 
cut evenly round the edge of paper. Fig. 83 is a 
pattern for the middle piece in the handle. 

In beginning to cut out the bag, take the side 



Bags. 77 

pattern, lay it on the leather, and see that both 
sides can be got out with the grain running in the 
same direction. Use a sharp knife, and if a level 
board large enough is not handy, lay one of the 
strawboards under the leather and cut out on that. 
Cut quite close to the pattern, guiding the knife 
with the finger pressed against it and the edge of 
the pattern. See that there are no flaws or 
blemishes under the pattern, or they will be sure to 
show when made up. The bands will need to be 
45 in. long, one by 6| in. wide and the other by 5^ in. 
This will give 4 in. clear to each one and sufficient 
to cover the frame. The bottom (21^ in. by 9 in.) 
may be cut last. Use the thinnest part of the hide 





Fig-. 82. Fig. S3. Fig. 84. 



Fig. 82.— Folding Paper for Small Pattern. Fig. 83.— Part 
of Bag Handle. Fig. 84.— Tab. 

for welts, cutting strips for this purpose \ in. widv. 
and as long as they can be got. Join together into 
one length by paring the ends with a knife and 
making a short lap with glue or paste. 

A pattern for the tab by whose means the bag is 
pulled open is shown by Fig. 84. 

Make a few four-cord threads of brown hemp, 
fasten in a pair of the smaller needles, and choose 
an awl of suitable size. Take one of the bands and 
one side-piece, lay them face to face, and start sew- 
ing from one bottom corner of the side-piece, placing 
one end of the band level with it and running the 
welt between the two. Sew round until the opposite 
bottom corner is reached, tie the threads over the 
edge, and sew the other side-piece and band to- 
gether the same. There will probably be a little to 
trim off the bands to bring the ends level. Do this, 



78 Leather Working. 

and mark each end 4 in. from the seam ; this should 
leave on one \\ in. to cover the small part of the 
frame, and 2\ in. for the larger. 

Next take the bottom and commence sewing 
from one corner of this and the bottom of the side- 
piece, running a welt in as before. Continue along 
the end of the bottom, sewing this to the end of the 
band until the mark already mentioned is reached, 
run the welt only to the bottom for f in., and then 
take up the end of the other band at the mark 4 in. 
from the edge. Continue sewing until the place 
started from is reached, treating opposite sides and 
ends exactly alike. 

The bag, being inside outwards, must now be 
turned. Do this by placing the left hand in one 
corner, and with the other hand forcing -the leather 




• Fig. 85.— Half of Bottom Stiffening. 

downwards until it begins to fold over ; then take 
the other corner of that end, and serve it the same, 
working both down until they are quite clear. Pro- 
ceed with the other two corners in a similar way, 
and the bag will be turned. If enamelled hide is 
being used, and the weather is cold, warm the 
leather gently and carefully before turning. 

Hammer the corners down from the inside, and 
press with the hand quite close to the seams all 
round them ; this will give it a more natural shape 
to receive the stiffenings. Now take the 2-lb. 
board, and cut two pieces 21 in. long by 4| in. wide 
(Fig. 85). Cut quite \ in. off each corner to allow 
them to fit close up to the seams, and try them in 
before gluing. The proper method is to bend up 
the stiffening-piece in the centre, put one end in 
first, then the other end, and finally press down the 



Bags. 79 

centre ; this stretches the leather to its full length, 
and makes a solid bottom to the bag. When satis- 
fied that it is a good fit, glue one piece, place it 
inside, rub well all over with the rubbing-bone, and 
glue in the other half. There should be a space of 
\ in. between these from end to end. 

Stand it on one side for an hour or so for the glue 
to set properly, and, while waiting for this, cut out 
the stiffenings for the sides and make the handle. 
The stiffenings for the sides will need to be \ in. 
smaller all round than the leather, or perhaps more 
if the leather is very stout or the seams are too 
great a distance from the edges. Cut off the lower 
corners the same as the bottom stiffenings. Try 
them in before gluing, remembering that these also 
must fit very tightly. Use the bone freely all over, 
so that no part is left untouched, or there will be 
blisters where the glue does not adhere to the 
leather. Use the glue quite hot, see that it is not 
too stiff, and get them into position as quickly as 
possible. 

When preparing the glue, it is a good plan to 
break it up and soak in cold water for twelve hours ; 
this, when melted down, will be found to be about 
right for use. 

The stiffening of the bands is purely a matter of 
fancy ; some like a bag to set out square, whilst 
others prefer to strap it up close when nearly or 
quite empty. If it is decided to stiffen these, it 
must be done after the bag has been framed, using 
strips from the 8-oz. boards 3| in. wide. 

To make the handle, take a piece of good strap 
leather 10 in. long by 1 in. wide ; cut to shape as in 
Fig. 83. Glue together a lot of odd pieces about 
6^ in. long by \ in. wide and the same thickness, and, 
when dry, pare the edges away until it is perfectly 
round and slightly tapering towards each end. It 
is then divided and glued top and bottom to Fig. 83, 
the ends of this having been previously passed 



8o 



Lea ther Working. 



through the handle rings and turned back to form 
a chape. Put a few stitches through close to the 
rings, and cover with a piece of cowhide long 
enough to go through the two rings and along the 
underside, then stitch it. Trim and dye the edges, 
rubbing them afterwards with a piece of cloth to 
produce a polish. It is a good plan to put the 
plates through the rings before gluing together, as 
this often proves difficult when made up. 

When the stiffenings are firmly set, fix in the 
bottom nails, and sew on two leather loops for 
straps (Fig. 86) ; then proceed to fit in the frame, 
placing the widest band over the largest half of 
the frame. Allow the leather to cover the thin iron 
band and reach half-way down the other part joined 




Fig-. 86. — Bottom of G-laclsi one Bag - . 

to it at right angles. This will leave a good margin 
inside when sewn through. A hole large enough 
for the key-barrel of the lock must be cut and 
passed over it, and another hole the same size cut 
underneath, continuing this right through to the 
edge, so that it will fit closely between the under 
part of the iron band and the lock. 

Oblong slots are punched across the iron band 
of the frame to allow the flexible claws on the fit- 
tings to pass through. Take the lock-plate first, 
and with a fine-pointed knife puncture the leather 
exactly over these, pass the claws through, and turn 
them down quite close on to the frame. Then take 
the handle and fix it. 

The strap loops are fitted next ; and if slides 



Bags. 8i 

have been bought, the leather must be cut away the 
same size and shape as the slots in the frame before 
being fixed. In bending down the claws, each pair 
should be bent inwards, and a piece of leather or 
similar material laid on anything solid to protect 
the plated parts whilst being gently hammered 
down. The shoes should be fixed last ; then cut two 
slits in the narrow band for the lock-catch to pass 
through. 

More expensive frames have solid fittings ; these 
have screws cast on them, and are fitted to the 
frames by small nuts, round holes being punched to 
pass the screws through. 

It is now ready for sewing. Take the ball of 
black flax, and make a few five-cord threads, using 
beeswax tor tnese instead of shoemakers' wax. Cut 
them in halves, and fix a large needle to one half. 
The method of sewing in the frame is different to 
sewing the seams. Commence at one end of the 
frame, push the awl through, then make another 
hole in advance of that at a distance equal to the 
intended length of the stitch. Bring the needle up 
from the bottom through No. 2, and pass down 
through No. 1 ; pull out the full length, make a 
third hole, bring up the needle, and pass down 
through No. 2 hole ; then up through No. 4, and 
down No. 3 ; and so on. This gives an ordinary- 
looking stitch on the top, but below it has the ap- 
pearance of a cable, and is called back-stitching. 
Continue until all the frame is sewn, missing those 
places where the tie-pieces in the frame are in the 
way. A tab of leather by which to pull the bag open 
when in use (Fig. 84) must be sewn on where the 
lock-catch is fixed to the frame. 

The lining must now be cut out. For the sides 
and bands it is cut the same size as the leather, and 
the bottom is made in two pieces 22 in. by 6 in. each. 
This leaves enough stuff to make a strong fold when 
sewing it with the division board along the centre 

F 



82 Leather Working. 

of the bottom. The covering for the division board 
is cut fully \\ in. deeper than the board. One side 
is glued on first, and the pocket flap and strap- 
chapes are sewn on before gluing on the other side. 
Figs. 79, 80, and 82 show how to cut the pocket and 
flaps. For these as well as the bindings a thin roan 
or good skiver must be bought. A bright scarlet 
looks well, and also wears much better than some 
other colours. Strips for binding should be \ in. 
wide, and carried beyond the bottom of the board 
to strengthen it. 

A piece of thin strawboard, the same shape as 
dotted lines in Fig. 79, must be cut for stiffening the 
pocket, and another piece (Fig. 80) for the flap. 
Glue these to the leather and a piece of lining over 
them ; that for the flap is the full size of the leather, 
and of some fancy coloured material. Paste a bind- 
ing along the top of the pocket, and one round the 
flap, or cut the leather sufficiently large to fold over 
and form a binding. Fix the pocket and flap in the 
centre of the division board, and stitch them round ; 
then sew a chape (Fig. 81), with a f-in. buckle and a 
loop, on each side, using the single needle and 
thread (yellow is best for this purpose) as in sewing 
round the frame. Glue the other lining piece over 
the back, trim off any inequalities, and paste on 
the binding. There are many domestic sewing 
machines which are quite powerful enough to sew 
through this binding and also the pocket and flap, 
and, where one is ready to hand and capable of 
doing the work, it should be used. The lining also 
may be sewn by a machine. 

When this is finished, lay it on one side and paste 
in the linings, which should be put in free from 
creases and should firmly adhere to the stiffenings. 
Pasting well up under the frame enables the lining 
to fold neatly over, and makes the work of sewing 
it in much easier. Begin to sew in the lining at one 
corner near the bottom, using a long needle and 



Bags. 83 

black thread, running the thread under the fold and 
bringing it through one of the holes previously made 
in sewing in the frame. Pass it through the next 
hole, and run the thread under the fold again. 

When the lining has been stitched in all round, 
place the bottom of the division board between the 
linings at the bottom, fold all surplus stuff inside, 
and run them together with hidden stitches. Sew 
two straps 5 in. long by f in. wide into the two 
corners of the frame to buckle to the chape pieces, 
and in the other side of bag sew in four straps, two 
of which should have buckles. These are sewn 



Fig. 87. — Tennis Racket Case. 

through the seam, the stitches lying hidden in the 
welting. The bag is now complete. 

It is proposed to give designs and instructions 
for making four or five different kinds of tennis 
bags. The making of any of these is not difficult. 

Fig. 87 is an illustration of an ordinary tennis 
racket case, which may be made of a waterproof 
material, check or twill, or of brown canvas or 
japanned duck, the edges being bound with leather 
to give greater strength. A leather handle is fixed 
on, as illustrated. This may be either a flat strip 
about \ in. wide or a strip of thinner leather | in. 
wide, and rounded by stitching the two edges 
together, leaving rather more than an inch at each 
end flat for sewing on to the case. 

The front piece is cut square across at the broad 
end, and a leather binding stitched along it ; a 



84 Leather Working. 

leather binding must also be sewn round that part 
of the flap which opens. Cut the binding for the 
flap and across the top of the front \ in. wide, and 
for the edges \ in. wider. Paste the flap and front 
piece at the edges to the back piece, and when dry 
sew on the binding with a beeswax thread made of 
fine yellow hemp or flax. It will be found that these 
waterproof cases preserve to some extent the ten- 
sion of the strings and help to check the frame from 
warping. 

Fig. 88 shows a tennis bag without any frame, 
similar to a school satchel, but much larger ; it is 



-^^w^- 



Fig. 88.— Case for Tennis Racket, Balls, etc. 

cut in three pieces, one large piece forming the 
front, back, and flap, and the other two pieces the 
gussets. Take a piece of waterproof goods 30 in. 
by 36 in. ; mark off 10 in. for the front, 6 in. for the 
bottom, another 10 in. for the back, and 6 in. for 
the top ; this will leave 4 in. for the flap. Each of 
the two gusset pieces is cut 10 in. by 6 in. Mark 
one end of the large piece 10 in. from the end on 
each side, round off two corners, and bind it with 
a thin strip of leather. This forms the top and flap 
of the bag. The gussets must be bound along one 
of the narrow ends ; this will form the top of the 
gussets. 

Before sewing the parts together, three buckles 
with chapes and loops must be sewn on the front 
piece about 6 in. from the top edge — one buckle in 



Bags. 



H 



the middle and another 3 in. from each edge — and 
the straps to meet them may also be sewn on before 
the bag is made up or left till the last, as these can 
be more easily got at. 

To make the handle, take two pieces of leather 
14 in. long by 1 in. wide, place a piece of stout cord 
or rounded leather between them, about 7 in. long, 
and stitch them together far enough to form the 
handle proper. This will leave about 3^ in. at each 
end to be sewn on to the bag, or it can be fastened 
with rivets, as shown in the diagram. 




Tennis Bag in Cricket Bag style. 



These bags, which have the advantage of being 
very light to carry and inexpensive to make, may 
also be made by sewing the gussets in and running 
a welt between the edges, turning the bag after 
wards as in making a Gladstone bag. This is not 
such a strong way, and necessitates putting in a 
lining to hide the rough edges of the seams. The 
lining may be a plain one, or fitted with pockets, as 
described later. 

The exterior of a very popular form of tennis 
bag is shown by Fig. 89 ; such a bag, made through- 
out in cowhide, will last for many years. These 
bags are made in various styles, some of brown 
waterproof canvas or carpet throughout, others 
with leather bottoms only, whilst some have, in 
addition, leather gussets ; the most expensive, and, 
of course, the most lasting, are made throughout in 



86 



Lea ther Working. 



cowhide. There is no difference whatever in the 
method of making these, and the choice of material 
must be left to individual taste and resource. The 
bag when closed resembles an ordinary cricketing 
bag, but is not so long. The frame of an ordinary 
full size cricketing bag measures 37 in., whereas 
that of a tennis bag is only 29 in. long. Then, 
again, the width of the bottom in a bag used for 
cricket varies from 5 in. to 10 in., but in a tennis bag 
it seldom exceeds 6^ in. 

Fig. 90 is an illustration of the frame used for 
this kind of bag, and is on the same principle as the 
ordinary brief-bag frame. The lock-plate and 




rennis Bag Frame. 



handle-rings and plates are shown in position, and 
are attached to the frame when covered by turning 
over the metal claws fixed to them on the underside 
of the frame, or, in the case of solid fittings, by 
screwing on small nuts. 

In measuring for the length of a bag, take the 
entire length of the frame, and at the same time 
decide what depth it shall be. It is assumed that 
the bag is 10 in. deep, 29 in. long, by 6 in. wide. ' For 
this obtain a piece of leather 29£ in. by 29| in., 
marked off as follows : 2j in. for covering the large 
half of frame and \\ in. for the small half, 10 in. 
for each side, and 6 in. for the bottom. If the bag 
is to be made with only the bottom of leather, the 
pieces for the sides will measure 29£ in. by \\\ in. 
and 29^ in. by 12| in. respectively. The gussets will 
be 10 in. by 6 in. in both cases. 



Bags. 87 

Run a welt of thin leather round in sewing the 
seams, and as these are sewn on the inside of the 
bag it must be turned, and in order to make it very 
finn a piece of stout millboard 29 in. long by 5£ in. 
wide must be glued and placed in the bottom within 
the seams, and rubbed well down all over it so that 
it will hold fast and there are no parts separated. 

Special studs are used as a protection to the 
bottom, and these also assist in keeping the mill- 
board in its place. Eight of these must be fixed in, 
as shown in Fig. 91, the claws attached to them 
being opened and turned down on to the stiffening 
inside. The method of making the handle is de- 
scribed on p. 79. 

Place the frame inside the bag, mark and punch 




Fig. 91.— Studded Bottom of Fig. 92.— Turn- 

Tennis Bag-. clip. 

a round hole for the key-barrel, fix on the lock-plate 
and handle-plates, and secure it in position for sew- 
ing by a stitch or two at each end near the gusset 
seams. See that these seams exactly meet when 
the frame is closed. Begin sewing from one end on 
the right about 1 in. round the bend, and continue 
to the left-hand end of frame the same distance 
round the bend ; then sew in the other half of the 
frame in the same manner, stitching a tab of leather 
for pulling the bag open on the opposite side to the 
one shown in Fig. 89. The two outside straps and 
buckle pieces must now be stitched on. These 
should be not less than 8 in. long by l\ in. wide, and 
of good leather. A name-plate should also be fixed 
on. 

In place of the outside straps a very strong and 
simple fastener is shown in Fig. 92. This is fixed 



88 



Lea ther Working. 



to the frame in a similar manner to the other fit- 
tings. Under the plate which lies along the top of 
the frame is a spring which acts on the bar, con- 
necting the two sides of the clip, and holds them in 
any desired position. 

The bag is now ready for lining. A good linen, 
either plain or fancy-striped, is the best for this, 
and if cut the same size as the outside of the bag, 
will allow plenty of stuff for strong seams and turn- 
ing in for stitching to the frame and tops of gussets. 
It will be noticed that pockets are made on the 
linings to hold the balls, rackets, boots, etc. When 




Fig. 93. — Tennis Bag in Gladstone style. 

articles of clothing are to be carried in the same 
bag, it is a good plan to make these pockets of some 
waterproof material, and large enough to com- 
pletely envelop the contents, in order to protect the 
clothing from becoming soiled or damp through get- 
ting in close contact with them. Buttons are sewn 
on the lower parts, and button-holes are cut in the 
flaps of the pockets, or loops of elastic may be fixed 
to the latter. 

When the lining is finished, place it inside the 
bag, fold inside all surplus stuff, bend the tops of 
the gussets inside about 1 in., and sew the lining 
gussets over and over to these. Then run the thread 
inside the fold of the lining when stitching the re- 
mainder to the frame, bringing the needle to the 
outside, and making a short stitch in returning it 



Bags. 89 

through the frame. The straps to hold tennis bat, 
etc., can be either riveted or sewn on. 

Fig. 93 is a tennis bag made on the Gladstone 
principle, the only difference being in the depth of 
the frame and the interior. The lining is fitted 
with straps and pockets. 

A tennis bag made on the half-Gladstone prin- 
ciple is shown by Fig. 94. The frame is fixed to 




Fig. 94.— Tennis Bag in Half-Gladstone style. 

one side of the bag instead of being placed propor- 
tionately in the middle. In this case a special frame 
must be made, and in ordering the frame it must 
be specified that it is required for a bag of this de- 
scription. 

It will be an easy matter for anyone to make a 
cricketing bag from these instructions by getting a 
suitable frame, and making due allowance for the 
increased dimensions in cutting out the bag. 



9o 



CHAPTER VIII. 

PORTMANTEAUX AND TRAVELLING TRUNKS. 

Portmanteaux are expensive things to purchase 
but not difficult to make, and in this chapter full 
instructions will be given for making two of the 
most popular and useful kinds. 

Fig. 95 illustrates an " Imperial " trunk, which 
is of the same shape as a box, and has a flanged lid 
to keep out the wet. Fig. 96, p. 93, is a sketch of a 
"Railway" trunk, also called a "folding" trunk. 

Frames, material, and all necessary fittings must 
be purchased. Good japanned canvas, black or 
brown, 7 in. wide, costs 2s. per yard ; and 2 yds. will 
be required for a 30-in. " Imperial " of the dimen- 
sions given in Fig. 95. The other requirements will 
be a frame, 6d. ; 4 yds. of 1-in. iron band for streng- 
thening the lid, about 4d. ; \ lb. of large, round- 
headed, copper rivets with washers, 8d. ; \ lb. of 
f-in. and ^-in. flat-headed copper rivets and washers 
mixed, 4d. ; two pairs of brass handle loops, 8d. ; 
two 1^-in. brass roller buckles, and one 1-in. ditto, 
5d. ; a lock, from 6d. to 2s. 6d. according to quality ; 
a pair of battens, 6d. ; 3 yds. of striped lining (best, 
6d. per yard) ; a welting belly for binding the edges, 
lOd. per lb. — about Is. to Is. 3d. ; and a basil, about 
Is. The handles c may be bought ready-made for 
9d. each ; but if it is decided to make these, the 
leather, and also that for the straps and chapes, 
strap-guides bb, and lock cover a, had better be 
bought of a saddler, who will cut them to the neces- 
sary size. This leather will cost about 3s. Procure 
also two. strawboards 30 in. by 54 in., 6d. each; 
1 lb. of good glue, 6d. ; two or three awls, 4d. each ; 
a packet of No. 2 harness needles, 2^d. ; a glue-pot 
and brush ; and a ball each of hemp and wax. 



Portmanteaux axd Travelling Trunks. 91 



Begin by cutting the stiffenings to the required 
size :— 16 -f 16 + \h\ = 47^ in. by 29^ in. for the body 
of the trunk. See tnat the ends are perfectly square, 
then mark each side the distance mentioned ; lay a 
long straight-edged rule across, and "score" the 
board. " Scoring " is cutting the board half-way 
through its substance, so that when it is bent to 
form the bottom the front and back rise freely to 
the proper shape, and the bottom lines will be true 




Fig. 95. — Imperial Trunk. 

from one end to the other. Next cut the boards for 
the ends — 16 in. by 15j in. each. The bottom 
corners are slightly rounded. 

The flange of the lid is to be 3 in. all round, so 
cut a board 30 in. by 22 in. and score it 3 in. from 
each narrow side. The flange pieces for the ends 
of the lid are cut separate from this and measure 
16 in. by 3 in. each. Next cut the canvas. Lay this 
japanned side down, place the stiffenings on it, and 
mark them round, leaving a little surplus from the 
edges of all the patterns. Do not be too sparing in 
cutting. 



92 Leather Working. 

Having cut out the canvas, the next thing will 
be to glue it to the stiffening. Use hot glue, work 
the brush rapidly, and be smart in uniting the parts 
together. Glue the inner surface of the canvas 
first, then the stiffening board, taking care that the 
glue is put on to that side of the board which has 
been scored, or it w T ill not bend properly. Place 
the board in position on the canvas and rub it well 
all over until the two adhere together in every 
part. Glue the canvas and stiffening of the lid 
together, scored lines to canvas ; then treat the 
trunk ends, and finally the flange ends, of the lid 
in the same manner. Weights should be placed on 
any parts which show a tendency to rise, but do 
not disturb any portion until the glue is well set. 

The edges may then be trimmed with a sharp 
knife, leaving the canvas perfectly even with the 
board. That part of the lid which forms the front 
of the flange must have a basil leather lining pasted 
along the inside, and a binding of the same leather 
along the edge. The flange ends are treated in the 
same way. Cut the lining 30 in. long by 2 in. wide 
for the front, and 16 in. long by the same width for 
each flange end. Paste these on first, and bind the 
edge of each with a strip of basil 1 in. wide. Fold 
and hammer this down before pasting it so that it 
will set better, the under part being rather wider 
than the top ; there will then be no fear of missing 
any part in the stitching process. 

Patterns for the handles, the lock cover, and 
strap-guides should be cut out of stout paper. Fig. 
97 shows a finished handle ready for fixing to the 
trunk; it is 11 in. long, 2\ in. full width, l£ in. 
where the brass handle loops will cover, and lh in. 
in the centre. The brass loops are \ in. wide, so, 
by cutting the spaces 1 in. long, the handle slides 
and becomes full when in use, and will lie level on 
the trunk ends when released. 

To make a pattern for the handles, fold a piece 



For tma ntea ux ' 



Tra vrl l ixg Tr unks. 



93 



of paper 11 in. long and mark it l| in. from the 
folded edge. Double the paper so that the line is 
at fop and bottom ; prick it through f in. from the 
edge where the spaces for the metal loops are 
shown, and | in. at the fold in the centre. Fashion 
the shape of the handle by marking a curved line 
between this and the point, and cut out with a pair 
of sharp scissors. The pattern will then be similar 
to Fig. 98 without the loop spaces removed, as 
shown by dotted lines. A pattern for the lock 




Fig. 96.— Railway Trunk. 



cover, 7 in. by 6 in., and one for the strap-guides, 
4 in. by 2 in., can be worked out from these in- 
structions. 

To cut out the handle, take two pieces of leather 
11 in. by 2j in., lay the pattern on each, and mark 
it round and cut out, but do not remove the loop 
spaces. These two pieces form the tops of the 
handles. With a pair of compasses mark them 
round \ in. from the edge, then fix a bottom piece 
to each with two nails (one at each end) and stitch 
them together. Shave the edges with a spoke- 
shave, rounding them at that part where they are 
gripped. 

Next cut out the spaces for the loops, using an 



94 Lea ther Working. 

ordinary carpenter's chisel 1 in. wide. Hold the 
chisel erect and drive it through with a mallet. To 
rivet the handles on the trunk ends, lay them in 
position about 4 in. from the top ; see that there 
is the same space at each of their ends, place the 
brass loops over so that each one touches the points 
nearest the middle of the handle, make holes 
through the canvas, and pass up the rivets from the 
inside. Lay the heads of the rivets on a solid iron 
and burr the points well on to the metal loops. 

The flange ends and front may now be stitched. 
Sew the binding first with a three-cord thread, 
about four stitches to the inch. From the binding, 
mark each piece \\ in. for the second row of stitch- 
ing. This holds the other edge of the lining piece. 
Cut off a piece of iron band 62 in. long, and slide 
this within the leather lining on the front, leading 
16 in. of band at each end. Bend these at right 
angles, then slide each into one of the flange ends. 
By bending down the back part of the lid, this is 
brought to the required shape. The end pieces 
should lie jus.t inside the other part, and should be 
held in position by being coarsely stitched over the 
edges. 

Prepare the body of the trunk in a similar 
manner. The ends are placed just within the edges 
of the other part, and coarsely stitched over in the 
same manner as the lid. Do not make the stitches 
too deep, or the binding will not hide them. Put 
the frame into the top of the body ; it must be 
inside, and level with the top all round. It is fixed 
by stitching a strip of basil leather round the frame 
and over the edge of the body. The basil will set 
better if slightly wetted first. 

The outside bindings should next be cut ; these 
are taken from the welting belly, which is a piece 
of ox-hide specially dressed for this class of work. 
Cut sufficient strips to go round each end of the 
trunk ; by paring the ends of each strip and lapping 



Portmanteaux and Travelling Trunks. 95 

them about \ in. the required length — about 12 ft. — 
may be made. Use a little glue for sticking the 
strips together. For the stitching, mark it on each 
side about T V in. from the edge with a pair of com- 
passes. Begin by binding the body of the trunk 
first, then the lid. The binding must cover all the 
stitching previously made in basting the parts 
together, and should be folded over the edge so 
that an equal portion of it is on each side. Pro- 
ceed next to fix the buckle chapes, strap-guides, 
and lock. 

The lock is first let in by cutting away the 
material so that the plate rests on the canvas, but 
the case of the lock passes through. A narrow strip 

Ti 

Fig. 97.— Trunk Handle. 

of stout leather is placed under the plate at the top 
so that the hasp, which is riveted to the lid, may 
enter it freely. The lock plate at the bottom is 
riveted down close to the canvas, the rivets being 
passed through from the inside of the trunk and 
burred over on to the plate. 

Guides b b for long straps are now fixed, large 
round-headed rivets being used for these. Washers 
are placed on the rivets on the inside before they 
are burred over. The buckle chapes for the short 
straps on the lid are stitched on, and a 1-in. buckle 
and strap sewn on for holding down the lock cover. 
Battens d d are fixed to the bottom with nails or 
screws. Small rollers let into these battens pro- 
vide a means for easily shifting the trunk. 

To strengthen the lid, it is necessary to affix 
strips of iron band, the position of which is denoted 
by the four rows of rivets (three in each row) shown 
by Fig. 95. Cut four pieces of the iron band 18i in. 



9 6 Leather Working. 

long, and bend them at right angles 2f in. from one 
end, so that they may strengthen the back of the 
lid. Punch a hole in each of these ends, also three 
holes in the other parts to receive the rivets. Before 
fixing these, it will be necessary to stitch the hinge- 
piece to the back of the lid. This must be of good 
pliable leather, 30 in. long by 2 in. wide. Fix it on 
to the lid so that half is left clear for stitching to 
the body. Lay the iron strips inside the lid, and 
fix them by twelve round-headed rivets as shown. 
Rivet the bent ends to the back of the lid with ^-in. 
flat-headed rivets, passing them through the hinge- 
piece from the outside. 

Place the lid on the body to find the exact places 
for the hasp and the short straps. Mark these dis- 
tinctly, rivet the hasp, and stitch on the straps, 
after which the lock cover may be stitched on. 
Line both the lid and the body before connecting 
them, as they will be less cumbrous to manage in 
two parts. Thin the glue for this work ; the better 
the quality of the lining the less chance has the 
glue to show through it. Cut the lining to the sizes 
required, and see that all the stripes are in one 
direction. The end pieces should be cut large 
enough to lap a little way on to the other parts. 
Leave a part of the back lining in the body not glued 
down, so that in sewing the lid on the stitches are 
covered by it. 

The lid and body are now ready for joining 
together. Place the lid on evenly, then secure the 
hinge-piece to the body of the trunk by nails at 
intervals along it. Drive in at least a dozen nails, 
then stand the trunk on one end. Pull open the lid a 
little, commence stitching the hinge-piece from one 
end, and continue as far as can be reached. Turn 
the trunk over and sew from the other end until 
the stitching meets. Glue and fix the part of the 
lining which was left, fix two pieces of web to stay 
the lid when open, and the trunk will be finished. 



Portmanteaux and Travelling Trunks. 97 

Although the " Railway " trunk (Fig. 96, p. 93) 
is different in design, the foregoing instructions will 
apply generally to the method of making it. The 
dimensions shown are the proportions of an ordin- 
ary 27-in., the largest size conveniently carried by 
one handle, which is placed near the lock. A pair of 
frames is required for a portmanteau of this shape, 
these being known as the body frame and the top 
frame. In the best quality, the sizes of iron used 
for these are : — For the body, T % in. square, and 
for the top, h in. by ^'V in. 

The material required for a 27-in. portmanteau 
of this shape would be : — Canvas, 1 yd. ; lining, 
2 yds. ; basil and welting belly as before mentioned, 
one lock, one pair of handle-plates, a few rivets of 
each kind, two 1^-in. buckles, a piece of f-in. leather 
for the handle, two long straps and guides, lock 
flap and strap to fasten it, a strip of good leather, 
27 in. by 2 in., for the hinge-piece, and two stiffen- 
ing boards as before.. 

Cut out the stiffening for the top first, 27 in. 
by 24 in., then for the body, 26| in. by 23^ in. The 
end pieces are cut 12 in. by 6 in. for the top, and 
11^ in. by 5| in. for the body. There is rather more 
"corner" taken off these end pieces than in the 
case of the "Imperial" trunk; the stiffening for 
the body and top must be scored three or four times 
across, about 6 in. from each end, to allow a more 
gradual bend. 

Glue the canvas and stiffening together, trim the 
edges, and fix in the end pieces to the body by 
stitching the edges over and over. The frame for 
this can now be put in (square iron) and the edges 
bound according to previous instructions. Cut the 
basil lining for the top of this portmanteau 3 in. 
wide, in order that it may cover the top frame in 
addition to the iron band. Paste this inside, bind 
these edges with basil, cut off a strip of iron band 
50 in. long, run it within the lining on the front, 
G 



9 8 



Lea ther Wor king. 



leaving 11^ in. each side, bend these, and pass them 
along the lining of the two ends. One row of stitch- 
ing to secure the lining should have been previously 
made, and the third line marked for stitching in 
the frame. The first and second rows should be 
\\ in. apart, and the third f in. from the second. 

All the other work is carried out as described for 
the " Imperial " trunk (Fig. 95), except the division 
board (Fig. 98), which is made and put in when all 
the other work is completed. Cut a piece of board 
26^ in. by 11^ in., round the top corners a little, 
and glue lining on to one side. Cut out the pocket 




Fig. 98. — Trunk Division Board. 



and flap from a piece of thin roan ; the pocket will 
measure 11 in. by 6 in., and the flap *J\ in. by 6 in. 
Glue a piece of stout brown paper, 7 in. by 5^ in., 
to the pocket, leaving 2 in. each side pliable for the 
gussets. Fold and crease these, and turn the top 
edge of the pocket in a little to bind and 
strengthen it, 

A pattern must be cut for the flap. Stiffen the 
flap with stout paper, and turn the edge under all 
round, using good glue for this. Line both with a 
piece of coloured cloth, fix them on the lined side 
of the board, and stitch round. The flap may be 
held down by a piece of elastic and button, or by 
inserting a loop as shown. 

The buckle chapes on each side of the pocket 
must next be sewn on, then the other side of the 
board is lined. The edges, except the bottom, are 
trimmed, and a narrow binding cut from the same 



Portmanteaux and Travelling Trunks. 



99 



coloured roan is pasted on and stitched round. The 
lining should extend below the bottom of the board, 
and it is by this that it is secured to the portman- 
teau. Fold the raw edges inside and stitch them at 
intervals along the bottom, passing the thread be- 
tween the two frames and through the hinge-piece 
outside 



L.ofC. 



IOO 



CHAPTER IX. 

KNAPSACKS AND SATCHELS. 

The directions about to be given are for making 
a knapsack measuring 11 in. wide, 9 in. high, and 
3j in. thick ; but by increasing or diminishing the 
dimensions given, of course any other suitable size 
can be similarly made. 




Fig-. 90. — Knapsack. 

The outside covering of the knapsack shown by 
Fig. 99 is of rubber-proofed cotton cloth, in pur- 
chasing which it is as well to state what the 
material is for, as a thin stuff is requisite with both 
sides unglazed. The waterproof material keeps 
rain from the contents of the knapsack, and pre- 
vents any food carried from getting dry. Select a 



Knapsacks and Satchels. 



ioi 



light-coloured material in preference to a dark one, 
because the sun's heat is reflected by the former 
and absorbed by the latter, and food is never im- 
proved by subjection to an invited temperature of 
80° or 90°, quite possible on a summer-day's tramp. 
For a temporary knapsack, it has been sug- 
gested that calico or holland can be waterproofed 
by being stretched, the edges being held by tacks, 
on a flat table, and then rubbed over with a lump 
of beeswax till it gets yellowish. A warm flat- 
iron passed over the unwaxed side then causes the 
wax to saturate the stuff, and this renders it water- 




Body of Knapsack- 



proof for some time. It is better, however, to use 
rubber waterproof. 

For lining, some common, white, twilled calico, 
obtainable at any draper's, can be used. 

The necessary leather will be 45 in. of thin, 
glazed, piping leather 1 in. wide ; straps will have 
to be cut out of strap leather, and buckles for them 
will have to be bought. 

The following are the sizes of the pieces re- 
quired : — a. Two pieces measuring 12^ in. by l£ in. 
(a b and c d, Fig. 100). b. One piece measuring 
4 in. by 1^ in. (Fig. 101). c. Two pieces measuring 
27 in. by 1 in. (p and s, Fig. 100). d. Two pieces 
measuring 7 in. by | in. (e and f, Fig. 100). c. Two 



102 Leather Working. 

pieces measuring 4 in. by f in. (g and H, Fig. 100). 
f. One piece measuring 3 in. by f in. (s, Fig. 102). 
Pieces c will have to be reduced in width to § in. 
at one end for half their length. 




uTm > 



2? 



Fig. 101.— Ring and Fig. 102.— Section of Buckle 

Holder. Leather and Sheath. 



Four buckles will be wanted for the f-in. straps ; 
two brass studs (Fig. 103), like shirt studs, but 
stronger ; and a ring If in. diameter (Fig. 104) of 
£-in. round brass or galvanised iron, flattened for 
about one-third of its circumference. 

Six pieces of cane will be needed, 8 in. long and 
about | in. diameter. Get also 4 yds. of grey 
binding-tape £ in. wide, some sewing-thread and 
needles, and some twist and a piercing-awl for 
sewing through the leather portions. The binding 



2, 



Fig. 103.— Brass Stud. 




Fig. 104.— D-ring. 



can be sewn on by machine, but the rest of the 
stitching is done by hand. 

From the waterproof cloth and the lining cut 
out pieces of the following dimensions : — One piece 



Knapsacks and Satchels. 



103 



measuring 36 in. by \2\ in. (outline of Fig. 100). 
One piece measuring 12^ in. by 9| in. Two pieces 
measuring 12^ in. by 4-|- in. (outline of Fig. 105). 

The lining is pasted to the waterproof cloth and 
is left to dry flat under pressure. 

From some cardboard i in. thick cut out two 
pieces, each 9 in. by 3^ in., for stiffening the ends of 
the knapsack. Paste them between the 12^ in. 
by 4|-in. pieces (t, Fig. 105). The card must be 
central, so that there is a margin of f in. round 




* y 



Fig. 106. — Section of 
Stiffened Part. 



Fig. 105.— Stiffened Part of 
Knapsack. 

three sides and a margin of 2| in. to the fourth side. 
Where the stuffs overlap the card they can be 
pasted together, but the whole must be kept flat. 
Draw a straight line with lead pencil round the 
edges that have the |-in. margin, making the line 
I in. from the edge ; then draw a similar line j\ in. 
further in — that is, a 7 . F in. from the edge. These 
lines (not shown in Fig. 105) are to act as guides 
for the seaming, and should be marked on the 
lining side. 



Ib4 Leather Working. 

Round off the corners of the parts shown in 
Figs. 100 and 105 where indicated, at one end 
only. A teacup inverted can be used to guide a 
pencil in marking the part-circle on the lining ; a 
pair of scissors will then cut it out true. 

Fig. 106 is an enlarged section of part of Fig. 
105, and shows the arrangement of the stiffening 
card, the waterproof covering, and the calico 
lining. 

Next the binding has to be sewn on. The parts 
where it goes are indicated in Figs. 100 and 105 by a 
dotted line outside the outlines. At some places 
binding is not necessary. 

The leather and straps now have to be sewn on. 
The two pieces 12^ in. by \\ in. are to be sewn on 
the 12-in. by 36-in. pieces with twist and the awl, 
the stitches being T \ in. apart. Fig. 100 shows 
where the leather goes, and to ensure the correct 
position it is best to draw two pencil lines across 
at A b, 14 in. from the round-cornered end, and at 
c d, 23 in. from the round-cornered end. The seams 
are to be not quite J in. from the edge, and the 
holes through the leather should be made first, 
before beginning to sew it to the stuff. These 
pieces are sewn to the outside of the stuff, and the 
seamed edges are shown by the dotted lines in 
Fig. 100. 

Only one long edge is stitched ; the other is 
made into six pockets that receive the ends of the 
8-in. canes. To form the pockets, eight rows of 
stitches are made, three stitches in each row, 
across the width of the leather strip and near its 
free long edge ; the stitches pass through, and 
further secure the leather to the stuff. The awl- 
holes should be made for these in the leather at the 
same time as those for the edge seams. The seam, 
a b (Fig. 100), besides securing the leather to the 
12-in. by 36-in. piece of stuff, also sews the 12-in. 
by 9-in. piece to it. The lined side of the 12-in. by 



Knapsacks and Satchels. 105 

36-in. piece goes against the unlined side of the 
12-in. by 9-irt. piece, and the edge opposite the 
rounded corners of the 12-in. by 9-in. piece goes 
along the line A b. 

For making the buckle straps skive or bevel the 
ends of the 7-in. by f-in. pieces of leather, and, 
1| in. from either end of each, make a hole shaped 
like an elongated 0, | in. long and barely \ in. wide. 
The ends of this hole and the holes for the buckle 
tongues will have to be made by punching out 
a circular piece with a cutting punch that takes it 
out clean. The punch can be bought cheaply, but 
a short piece of steel or brass tubing with the edges 
at one end ground sharp will make an efficient 
substitute. 



1 



VJ 

Fig'. 107.— Strap End with Keyhole Slit. 

Put the buckles on with their tongues through 
these holes, and bend the skived ends back, as 
shown in Fig. 102. Put two or three stitches in 
the skived overlapping ends to hold them together, 
and with the same stitches sew on a sheath (s, Fig. 
102) for the ends of the straps that are to pass 
through the buckles. The sheath is simply the 
piece of leather, f in. wide and 3 in. long, wrapped 
once round the middle of the looped strap. It 
must not be wrapped tightly, or there will not be 
room for the strap ends to go in ; so insert one of 
these to keep it at the right distance whilst sew- 
ing it on. Then sew the looped straps to the out- 
side of the stuff, as shown at e and f (Fig. 100), so 
that their outer edges are If in. from the edges of 
the 12-in. by 36-in. piece and their centres are 11 in. 
from the end that has square corners. 



106 Leather Working. 

Punch eight buckle-holes in the f-in. part of the 
tapering pieces, spacing them equally. In the 1-in.- 
wide part make keyhole slits (Fig. 107) for the studs 
to go in. One hole of each pair should be \ in. 
from the extremity of the leather, and the other 
hole Z\ in. from it. The studs passed through these 
two holes keep the end of the strap wrapped round 
the lf-in. ring. 




Fig. 108.— Part Back View of Knapsack. 

This ring is held to the knapsack by a leather 
holder made by doubling the 4-in. by l|-in. piece, 
and so forming a loop for the flat part of the ring to 
rest in (see Figs. 100, 101, and 108). The holder is 
stitched to the middle of the 12-in. by l^-in. piece, 
a b (Fig. 100). To the round-cornered end of the 
12-in. by 36-in. piece, on the outside, near the end, 
at g and h (Fig. 100), the two 4-in. by f-in. pieces 
of the leather are stitched. They are placed If in. 
from the 36-in. edge, as in the case of the 7-in. by 
f-in. pieces, e and f, for into these they buckle, and 
so keep the flap of the knapsack down. 



Knapsacks and Satchels. 



io- 



Cut the piping leather into two pieces and fold 
each lengthwise along its centre. Cut a notch 9^ in. 
from each end so that the folded piping can be 
bent at right angles there more easily (Fig. 109). 

Take one of the stiffened pieces (Fig. 105) and to 
it sew the piping leather in the following manner : 
— The edges of the leather are to be close to the 
edges of the stuff, and the 3^-in. portion between 
the two notches is to be sewn along the 4^-in. side 
of Fig. 105, occupying its middle part and leaving 




Fig - . 109. — Piped Corner of 
Stiffened Part. 




Fig-. 110.— Satchel or 
Cartridge Ba°r. 



a margin of \ in. at either corner. The other parts 
of the piping leather — the two 9|-in. ends — are 
sewn to the two 9-in. sides of the stiffened pieces. 
Fig. 109 shows a corner of Fig. 105 enlarged, with 
the piping sewn to it ; the side to which the piping 
is sewn is the waterproofing, not the lining. The 
stitches must be f\ in. apart, and along the guide- 
lines already made g in. from the edges. There is 
no piping between A and J (Fig. 105). 

When both pieces have been piped, they are to 
be sewn to the 36-in. by 12-in. piece (Fig. 100), with 
a second seam along the second guide-line ^ in. 
from the first. The relative positions of the 36-in. 
by 12-in. piece and the two 12^-in. by 4-|-in. pieces 



io8 



Lea ther Working. 



are shown by Figs. 100 and 105, where J k c a in one 
have to coincide with the same letters in the other, 
due allowance being made for the facts that Fig. 
100 is drawn to half the scale of Fig. 105, and that 



FL>. 111.— Buckle Piece. 



on the other side of Fig. 100, J k d b take the place 
of J k c A 

The seams must be continuous all round the 
three sides, and must be made whilst the pieces are 
held together, lining outwards. When finished, 
the bag must be turned inside out and four fasten- 
ing-off stitchings made at the corners A, J, b, and J 
(Fig. 100), where these points are sewn to Fig. 105 
and its fellow-piece, to prevent tearing. The ends 
of the canes must be inserted in their pockets. 
Tapes may be sewn to the ends of the unstiffened 





Fio-. 113. --Front of Satchel. 



Fig. 112.— Back and Flap of 
Satchel. 



parts of the 12i-in. by 4^-in. pieces. Sometimes 
one of the straps, p or s, Fig. 100 (whose ends go 
into the buckles, e and f), is fitted with a hook-and- 
eye attachment to make putting on and taking off 



Knapsacks and Satchels. 109 

easier than when a buckle has to be undone. In 
that case the strap p or s is cut in two about the 
middle of the f-in. part, and a brass wire hook is 
made and fastened to one end and a brass wire eye 
to the other. The buckle is still wanted for adjust- 
ment. 

This chapter will conclude with a description 
of how to make a cartridge bag or satchel. Such a 
bag is shown by Fig. 110. To make it, begin by 
cutting patterns in paper or cardboard to the 
dimensions shown in Figs. Ill to 116. The bag can 
be made in cowhide, pigskin, or any other leather 
of the same substance and quality, or of canvas 
bound with leather. The straps (Figs. 115 and 116), 
buckle piece (Fig. Ill), and loops, should be made 
of brown middling, or solid leather. After this 



Fig. 114.— Gusset of Satchel. 

has been cut to pattern, colour the edges of the 
pieces just mentioned with dye to match the 
leather, and polish the edges with a greasy rag ; 
then punch the holes shown in Figs. 115 and 116. 

Take the shoulder strap (Fig. 115) and bend the 
leather 2 in. from the end and punch or cut a hole 
in the centre of the fold for the tongue of the 
buckle, which may then be fixed in position. Next 
cut a piece of leather, 1| in. by ^ in., and stitch the 
two ends together to form a loop ; slide this along 
the strap to the buckle and sew through the two 
thicknesses of strap, starting from l (Fig. 115) on 
the one side round to M on the other side. Two 
pieces of leather, 1^ in. by f in., may then be sewn 
on the gusset or band (Fig. 114) as shown. The 
buckle piece (Fig. Ill) is made similarly, and after- 
wards sewn as in Fig. 113, which shows the front- 



no Lea ther I For king. 

The short strap (Fig. 116) should be sewn on the 
flap (see Fig. 112), the stitching being commenced 
\ in. from the edge and continued for 1^ in. along 
each side. The parts shown by Figs. 112, 113, and 
114 should have strong twill lining fixed over the 
back of each piece, this being pasted about 1 in. 
from the edge. The front (Fig. 113) should now be 
bound with soft leather from J to k, a piece of 
leather f in. wide being pasted on and marked for 
stitching if this is to be done by machine, and 
pricked with a pricking iron if hand work is 
employed. 

The gusset or band (Fig. 114) should now be 
welted on the back, a strip of leather £■ in. wide 
being folded over and oversewn or tacked about 
\ in. from the edge from H to I (Fig. 114), keeping 



| o o o o o i 



Fig-. 115.— Satchel Shoulder Strap. 

the two edges of the welting and the edge of the 
gusset together. The back should be folded and 
marked at f (Fig. 113); similarly mark Fig. 114 at 
G, and bring the two centres F and G together and 
tack them strongly. Also tack together in a 
similar way h (Fig. 114) and d (Fig. 113), also i (Fig. 
114) and e (Fig. 113). 

The whole should now be welted together from 
point E to d (Fig. 113), and in doing this, work on 
the gusset, having it on top when stitching. The 
piece should next be turned inside out, the face 
of the leather being brought outside and the welt- 
ing being forced out and rubbed with the handle 
of a hammer to give it the shape shown at x (Fig. 
110). Next fix the front on the back, joining f 
(Fig. 113) to point A (Fig. 112). Tack the parts 
strongly together and bring D (Fig. 113) to B (Fig. 



Knapsacks and Satchels. hi 

112), and e (Fig. 113) to c (Fig. 112), and tack them. 
Next oversew or whip the whole together from c 
(Fig. 112) to b. 

The back should next be bound all round with 
leather from a point under the strap between N and 
o, overlapping at this point by about \ in. The 
binding should be about f in. wide. Next fold the 
flap and fasten the short strap to the buckle in 
front. Run the point of the long strap (Fig. 115) 
through the loop at x (Fig. 110), passing it round 
the band or gusset and through the loop on the 
opposite side. 



L2 



Fig. 110.— Short Strap of Satchel. 

The strap should be long enough to pass over 
the shoulder and buckle, leaving about 6 in. of 
spare strapping. The parts from D to J (Fig. 113) 
and K to E should then be turned inward and 
fastened with six stitches from the inside to the 
back of Fig. 112. This should be done with an awl 
and needle, a coarse thread being used. 

If brown leather has been employed and has 
become soiled in handling, wash it with a weak 
solution of oxalic acid. 



112 



CHAPTER X. 

LEATHER ORNAMENTATION. 

The method of leather ornamentation described in 
this chapter can be applied to a variety of articles, 
such as book-covers, blotters, boxes, panels, finger- 
plates for doors, etc., with fine effect. The tools 
required are few and can be easily made. 

The tracer (Fig. 117) can be made by inserting 
two pieces of steel knitting-needle in a wooden 
handle, and filing them to points as shown, one 
fine and the other blunt. The points should be 
finished on an oilstone, making them slightly round, 
so that they do not scratch. 

The liner (Fig. 118) is a tool with wheels of 
different thicknesses, and may be filed up from 
hard brass, iron, or steel. The edges must be 
perfectly flat and square, a hole being drilled in 
the centre for the pin. The shanks to carry the 
wheels may be of either of the metals mentioned 
above. A tang is filed at one end for inserting in 
the handle, the other end being drilled and slotted 
to receive the wheel and pin. The slot must be 
just large enough to take the wheel without allow- 
ing it to wobble. 

The modellers (Figs. 119 and 120) are the shape 
of the tools used in clay-modelling, and may be 
of the same material, namely, wood. Box is gener- 
ally used for the purpose, but any hard wood of 
close and even grain is suitable. They are easily 
made with a chisel or knife, file, and sandpaper, 
the ends being shaped similar to the thumb. Fig. 
121 is a view of Fig. 120 from above, showing the 
ends pointed for working into corners and points 
of scrolls. The ends of 'the tool, shown by Fig. 119, 



Leather Ornamentation. 113 

are round, and, as seen from above, the larger end 
is as broad as the middle of the tool ; the other end 
is slightly smaller. The above tools are all larger 
at one end than the other, so that the end found 
most suitable to the line, or work in hand, can be 
used. All are about 6 in. long. 

The grounding-punch (Fig. 122) may be formed 



Fig. 117.— Tracer. 

from a large French nail, cutting off the head and 
filing the other or working end to a long blunt point, 
as shown. It is about 4 in. long. A light hammer 
completes the list of tools. 

The following materials are required : — A slab 
of slate or marble, about 1 in. thick, to work on — 
perhaps hard wood would do as well if the surface 
were planed smooth, sandpapered, and made non- 
absorbent with a coat or two of varnish ; a bag of 
sand or sawdust on which to place the marble or 
wood slab to deaden the noise when grounding ; 
drawing pins for fixing the design ; a sponge and 
water for damping the leather ; some bran or fine 
sawdust and ryeflour for filling the raised parts ; a 



Fig. 118. — Liner. 

flat ruler, paper, pencil, and compasses. The 
leather must be thin calf or basil without flaws. 

The design has now to be obtained. The com- 
panion handbook, " Decorative Designs of All 
Ages for All Purposes," is invaluable to those who 
wish to draw their own designs. For transferring 
the design, with compasses and pencil carefully 
mark off and draw a number of squares over the 
H 



H 



Leather Working. 



original. Then draw a rectangle the full size of 
the paper pattern, and divide it into an equal 
number of squares. There are now a number of 
fixed points, and by noting where the lines of the 
design cross the squares, a fair enlarged or reduced 
copy can be made. 



Fi . 119.— Modeller. 

The pattern should be of such a size that a mar- 
gin will be left all round, say from % in. to f in. 
according to size. This gives the finished article 
a good appearance. The leather, if for a book- 
cover, should be cut \ in. larger all round than this 
to allow of skiving and turning over the edge. 

Place the leather on the slab, and with the 
sponge and clean water damp it carefully and 
equally all over. If the leather is w^etter at one 
spot than another a stain will show ; it must be 
kept damp throughout the working. The paper 
pattern must now be pinned to the leather, and 
with the tracer go over all the lines, using con- 
siderable pressure, or the pattern will not be trans- 
ferred. The ruler should be used, to guide the tools 
along straight lines. 



Fig. 120.— Modeller. 



Remove the pattern and go over the lines with 
the liner, w T ell pressing it. Any parts to be raised 
will now be pressed up from behind, using the 
modellers, the depressions thus made being filled 
(just filled and no more) with a paste made by 
mixing equal parts of fine sawdust or bran and rye- 



Leather Ornamentation. 115 

flour with water. Over these place paper to pre- 
vent them sticking where not needed. 

The leather is now turned right side up, and the 
raised parts carefully modelled to shape with the 



Fig-. 121. — Another View of Modeller. 

modellers while the paste is still workable. Then 
go over the lines again with the liner until they 
are clear and sharp, and let the leather dry. When 
quite dry, place the slab on the sand-bag, and, 
taking the hammer and punch, proceed to stipple 



Fig - . 122.— Grounding-punch. 

or dot in the ground, making the impressions 
sharp and clear. Much depends on the evenness 
of the ground. The work is now finished and 
ready for mounting. 



n6 



CHAPTER XI. 



FOOTBALLS. 



Footballs are composed of two parts — the case, 
or cover, and the bladder. The case always should 
be made of leather, and bladders are made from 
vulcanised sheet rubber of good quality. The 
shapes most used are the Association (Fig. 123) and 
the Rugby (Fig. 124). 

First of all, it is necessary to decide what kind 
of leather will be required. The cases are made 




123. — As80ciation Football. 



from quite a variety of leathers, and many of the 
cheaper ones are not worth the labour of making 
up. Much of this leather is manufactured specially 
for football makers, but good, serviceable cases 
may be made from leather prepared in the usual 
way, especially cowhide. 

Whole hides vary slightly in size, and cut on the 
average from twelve to thirteen No. 5 cases ; pieces 



Footballs. 117 

in various sizes may be bought, and some leather 
cutters will cut any required size at so much per 
square foot. 

The standard sizes of footballs are as follow: — 
Association: No. 1, 20 in. circumference; No. 2, 
22 in. ; No. 3, 24 in. ; No. 4, 26 in. ; No. 5, 28 in. ; 
No. 6, 30 in. ; and an ordinary match Rugby 
measures 29| in. by 25 in. Other sizes are seldom 
made except for use in Australia, where they prefer 
a slightly larger ball, the dimensions of their Rugby 
match balls being 30| in. by 26 in. 

The case for an ordinary match ball, either 
Rugby or Association, contains two square feet 




Fig. 124.— Rugby Football. 

of leather ; but it must not be understood that a 
case could be cut out of a piece of leather that size. 
In cutting from small pieces there is more waste 
than in cutting from a hide. Association cases are 
mostly made in seven or eight pieces, but some 
have nine or ten segments, although there is no 
advantage to be gained in the greater numbers. 
The easiest to begin upon will be a seven-segment 
case ; the others can be worked out by anyone, as 
they are all the same size when made up. 

For an eight-segment case reduce the width of 
pattern proportionately, and so with the nine- or 



n8 Leather Working. 

ten-segment case. For a No. 5 Association case, 
made in seven segments, make a pattern 13 in. long 
by 3| in. across the middle, as shown in Fig. 125. 
Take a piece of stout cardboard, and draw on it 
a straight line 13 in. long ; bisect this by a line at 
right angles, as shown in the diagram. On this 
line mark off \\ in. from the centre on each side, 
and draw segments of a circle through the four 
points thus obtained. Ordinary compasses or 
dividers are much too small for this purpose, but 
there are several methods by which it can be done. 
One of the easiest is to tie a piece of fine string to 
a blacklead pencil, hold this in one hand and the 
string a given distance from it, and draw a line 
from point to point. Fix the cardboard with a few 




Fig-. 125. — Segment of Association Football Case. 

drawing-pins or fine nails to the table before mark- 
ing to prevent it shifting. When the pattern has 
been cut out, lay it on a large sheet of paper and 
mark round the pattern seven times on it ; this will 
show how much leather will be required. 

In buying the leather, see that the pieces 
when cut will run in the same direction of the 
hide as shown in Fig. 126, which shows a hide with 
pattern laid on, and how it should be cut. 

Having cut out the case, mark and cut off each 
end, if inserted ends are to be put in. These look 
much neater, and are also stronger, than outside 
end pieces. Select two segments and place them 
face to face, then mark one edge of each 2j in. from 
the centre ; this will leave 4| in. for the mouth. 
See that the marks on each are exactly opposite 



Footballs. 



119 



one another. A small piece to line each of these 
for lace-holes must be cut ; this will strengthen 
them. Mark them as in Fig. 127. The case is now 
ready for sewing. 

The few tools necessary for making footballs are 
not expensive, and can be bought at any leather- 
seller's. A knife, a few sewing awls, a No. 3 punch, 
a ball of fine brown hemp, wax, packet of harness 
needles, and the usual clamp to hold work whilst 




Fiff. 126. — Football Pattern Set out on Hide. 



being sewn, are all that will be necessary. In- 
flators may be bought at prices according to pattern 
and size. Fig. 128 shows the most useful kind ; 
this costs between five and six shillings, its size 
being 9 in. by 1^ in. 

Before beginning to sew the segments together, 
it will be necessary to make the threads (wax-ends). 
These may have four strands. 

The method of forming a wax-end is as follows : 
Take the ball of hemp and push the end out from 



120 Leather Working. 

the centre. The hemp runs out more freely this 
way, and the ball will stand perfectly still. A hook 
or strong nail must be fixed in some convenient 
place, and all being ready, begin by breaking the 
end of the hemp to a fine tapering point. This 
is done by holding the hemp firmly between the 
thumb and forefinger of the left hand, leaving a 
few inches hanging down ; lay this over the thigh 
of the right leg, and with the right hand rub it in 
a downward direction, which will cause the twisted 
strand to loosen. Then take the end with the right 
hand and give it a jerk ; the fibres will break, and 
the ends of the strands formed in this way, placed 
a little distance above one another, will, when 
twisted together, give a smooth tapering point. 
Stand at a distance of 3 ft. from the hook and begin 
to make a thread by holding the end just formed 
in the left hand ; pass the hemp round the hook 
and bring it down with the right hand, and break 
off as before. Four strands will make a good 
strong thread ; carefully examine the points to see 
that they taper properly and have no lumps. Rub 
the wax up and down quickly a few times, then lay 
one point over the right thigh and roll it with the 
hand down the leg a few times until it is well 
twisted, then repeat with the other point ; rub wax 
up and down and it is ready for use. Give an ad- 
ditional coat of wax to the points, take a needle, 
pass the point of thread through the eye, turn point 
of thread back, and twist needle round a few times 
to secure it. Fix a needle to the other point in the 
same way ; select an awl of suitable size, which 
should not make a hole larger than necessary, and 
all is now ready for sewing. 

Begin by stitching on the linings for lace-holes, 
which should be large enough to take the sewing all 
round the mark. This lining may be held in place 
either by being pasted or tacked with two or three 
small nails. Place the segment within the mouth 



Footballs. 121 

of the clamp, drive the awl through at one of 
the points of the pattern marked on it, pass the 
needle up through the hole, and draw the thread 
through until the middle is reached. This will give 
a thread of equal length on each side. Make 
another hole with the awl, pass up the bottom 
needle as before into the right hand, send the top 
needle through to the bottom, and with a needle 
in each hand pull through the threads simultane- 
ously until they lie on each side of the leather and 
form a stitch top and bottom. Sew round until the 
place started from is reached, then cut off and sew 
the other segment to match. It is assumed that 
the case is to have inserted ends, so the ends must 
be cut off the seven segments. 




Fig-. 127. — Marking Lace-holes on Football Case. 

Punch seven holes in each of the two lined 
segments for the lace-holes, as shown in Fig. 127. 

The case is now ready for seaming. Take two 
segments and place them grain upon grain, taking 
care that the edges of each are perfectly true. 
Place these in the mouth of the clamp, and com- 
mence sewing at one end. Be careful to drive the 
awl straight through, and as near the edges as may 
be without weakening the strong seam ; pull both 
threads in at the same time and with equal ten- 
sion ; this will give, when finished, a ball of good 
shape if the leather has been properly cut. Sew 
all the segments together, leaving only the last 
seam, where the lace-holes are, unsewn. Be care- 
ful to fasten the threads at the ends of each seam 
by tying them in a firm knot, or when the case is 



12 2 Lea ther Wor king. 

turned and inflated the seams will gape open. The 
last seam should have about two stitches at each 
end just sufficient to hold them together while the 
end pieces are being sewn in. 

The seams must now be lightly hammered 
down. The best substitute for a proper iron for 
this purpose is a small iron foot, such as is used 
for repairing children's boots on. The smallest 
size will be large enough, and should be fixed in an 
iron stand or the usual wooden leg sold for that 




Fig. 128.— Football Inflator. 



purpose. Damp the seams well with a wet sponge 
and push the foot inside the case, taking care that 
it is always solid where the hammer blows fall. 
Too much force must not be used with the hammer 
or the grain may be broken. 

When all the seams have been treated in this 
way, prepare to sew in the end pieces. Take two 
circular pieces of leather, \\ in. in diameter, to 
form the ends ; place the case, one end uppermost, 
between the knees. The hole at each end of the 
case should be not more than \\ in. across. Make 
holes with the awl round the edges before sewing, 
so as better to guide the worker when sewing the 



Footballs. 123 

end pieces in ; when sewn hammer down the two 
seams. The case is now ready for turning. This 
will be found rather an awkward job, especially if 
the leather is stout. 

The case is the right side out, but this last seam 
must be sewn inside like all the others ; to do this, 
drive one end of the case down until it rests upon 
the other. This will give it the appearance of a 
large bowl or the half of a huge cocoanut shell. By 
pulling further apart the half of the open seam 
which is outside it will be found that the inner- 
most one can be got at. Begin sewing this from 
the top, and gradually work down towards the lace- 
holes, finishing at the mark showing space to be 
left for insertion of bladder. Fasten the threads 
well, as a great strain is on this seam. Place the 
iron foot inside and hammer the seam ; then push 
out the case again to its natural shape and drive 
down the other end, but not so equal as before. 

The inserted end piece must rest about half-way 
along the seam just sewn, and this will bring the 
unsewn part in the right position for commencing 
to sew it. About 1^ in. may be sewn, then it will 
be necessary to shift it a little, and so on until the 
seam is finished. Lightly hammer the seam while 
sewing, or it will not shape properly when blown 
out. 

Cut a piece of leather 4^ in. by 3 in. and pare 
the edges all round to form the tongue-piece. This 
is stitched on to one of the sides of the opening by 
half a dozen stitches near the middle hole, and is 
used as a protecton to the bladder. A hole should 
be cut in the middle of tongue-piece to allow the 
pipe attached to the bladder to pass through it. 

Now insert the bladder, draw the tube through 
hole in tongue-piece, lay the tongue evenly inside 
the mouth, and the ball is ready for inflating. Put 
the nozzle of inflator into the bladder, and when 
sufficient air has been pumped in, draw the tube 



124 Leather Working. 

off nozzle, hold tightly with thumb and finger, fold 
tube over, and tie down firmly with wax-end, 
taking great care there is no escape of air. Push 
the tube under the side which is not attached to 
the tongue, draw the mouth together with a good 
lace, and the ball is finished. 

If the instructions have been carefully followed, 
a ball, perfect in shape and equal to the roughest 
wear it may have to endure, will have been pro- 
duced. With the knowledge already gained, it 
will be an easy matter to make a ball of any other 
shape and size. The process is the same, and it 
only requires some care in calculating for the 
pattern. 



125 



CHAPTER XII. 

DYEING LEATHER. 

Broadly speaking, there are two methods of 
leather dyeing — by dipping, and by brushing. 

In the first method, the tanned leather is soaked 
for a short time in the liquid dye contained in a vat, 
or it is revolved with the liquor in a closed cylinder. 
The leather by this means is largely impregnated 
with the colour. Light-coloured leathers, especi- 
ally tan colours, are as a rule produced without 
dyeing ; the tannin liquors are made from materials 
which yield the required tints, and tanning and 
dyeing become one operation. 

In the second method, a solution of the dye is 
applied to the surface of the leather whilst spread 
on a board. This gives a superficial colouring only, 
the under side of the leather not being coloured. 
This method is used for applying coal-tar dyes. 

If the colour is to be applied by dipping, the 
preliminary treatment of the leather consists in 
soaking it in warm water to open the pores and 
soften the leather, thus allowing it to take up the 
dye quicker and more evenly. As the skins are 
often greasy, especially in patches, it may be neces- 
sary to dip them in a dilute solution of ammonia or 
washing soda, but this treatment tends to harden 
the leather and render it harsh, therefore only weak 
liquors should be employed. 

Black colours are produced on leather with salts 
of iron and galls, etc., or by means of aniline blacks, 
such as naphthylamine black, indulines, sloelines, 
etc. For an iron black, the leather is either tanned 
with gall extract, or, after tanning, it may be 
steeped for a short time in a bath made of 2 lb. of 



126 Leather Working. 

powdered galls and 1 lb. of logwood chips to 8 gal. 
of water. This should be rendered slightly alkaline 
with carbonate of soda or ammonia before use. 
After steeping in the gall bath, steep it in a solu- 
tion of ferrous sulphate (green vitriol), 1 lb. to 
8 gal. of water, till the black has fully developed. 

Aniline blacks soluble in water are not dead- 
black colours, but have a more or less pronounced 
violet shade. In order to counteract the effect of 
this, it is usual to add a yellow dye, such as aniline 
yellow or orange, or naphthol yellow, in the pro- 
portion of, say, one-tenth of the black employed. 
By using the two dyes combined, it is possible to 
obtain on leather blacks that are nearly free from 
violet tint. The blacks mentioned are known as 
" acid " dyes, and they are readily taken up by 
leather, especially from a slightly acid solution. 
Sulphuric acid, however, must not be used, as it 
causes the leather to rot ; it is better to add a little 
acetic acid or bisulphate of soda. The amount of 
dye required varies, but as a rule, 1 lb. to 2 lb. may 
be taken for 10 gal. of the liquid. 

The same blacks may be applied to leather by 
brushing, which is best done after soaking the 
leather in water for a short time ; then sponge it 
with the dye solution, and, after partial drying, 
another coat may be applied. To get a good black 
it may be necessary to give several coats, but two 
coats should suffice if a stronger solution is used. 

Other aniline dyes may be applied to leather by 
dipping or brushing, all that is required being a 
solution of the dye in water. The amount of dye 
to be used is best found by experiment on leather 
scraps, as their staining powers vary. 

The aniline dyes may be divided into two classes, 
"acid" dyes and "basic" dyes. Leather has the 
greatest affinity for the " basic " dyes, these colours 
being fixed by the excess of tannin in the hides as 
tannin-lakes, and if too much tannin is present the 



Dyeing Leather. 127 

leather takes too much colour and becomes over- 
stained ; or it may dye too deeply in patches ; thus 
basic dyes are best employed in rather dilute solu- 
tions. Another reason for the use of weak solu- 
tions is that basic dyes give a bronze colour if the 
solution is too strong. 

Acid dyes are more suitable for dyeing by im- 
mersion than the basic ones, but strong solutions 
may be applied with a sponge, and will be taken 
quite readily. Basic dyes are not so suitable for 
dyeing by immersion unless the excess of tannin is 
previously removed from the leather by soaking in 
water. Alkalies must not be used for this purpose, 
unless afterwards neutralised by dilute acid, as 
they injure the colour of the dye. 

The following is a list of some of the aniline 
dyes suitable for dyeing leather ; it is not, however, 
a complete list. Compound colours may be made 
by mixing two dyes 



Acid Dyes. 
Naphthylamine black. 
Naphthol blue-black. 
Sloelines. 
Nigrosine ; water 

soluble. 
Acid browns. 
Acid green. 
Naphthol green. 
Fast yellow. 



Basic Dyes. 
Chrysoidine. 
Phosphine. 
Bismarck brown. 
Aniline orange. 
Alkali blue. 
Hofmann violet. 
Methyl violet. 
Malachite green. 
Magenta. 



For dyeing leather black by brushing, the 
leather is stretched and brushed with a strong 
decoction of logwood. It is then allowed to dry 
partially, and again treated once or twice with the 
logwood solution, after which it is brushed or 
dipped in a solution of sulphate of iron or nitrate 
of iron. If the black is not fully developed by this 
treatment the leather is again treated with log- 
wood, or with a solution of quercitron or sumach. 



128 Leather Working. 

To intensify the black, one of the aniline blacks 
may be added to the logwood solution. The 
leather is usually treated with oil during the drying 
to prevent it getting hard and stiff ; it is also 
worked about for the same purpose. 

A solution of shellac in borax is often used to 
fix the black dye, as that on the surface tends to 
rub off. 

Leather is stained a red colour with one of the 
aniline dyes, or by first treating it with cochineal 
extract and tin salts (chloride of tin) ; the latter, 
however, is a fugitive colour. The various shades 
of yellow, orange, tan, red, etc., are also obtained 
by using solutions of aniline dyes, or by the use of 
saffron, anatto, fustic, and Brazil wood. A solu- 
tion of picric acid gives a very pale yellow colour ; 
aniline yellow and phosphine are now largely used 
for yellow stains. A red dye may be made by heat- 
ing \ lb. of Brazil wood (in shavings) with 16 oz. of 
white vinegar, and then adding a solution of \ oz. 
of alum in 4 oz. of water. This is brushed on the 
leather. A purple dye is obtained from \ lb. of 
Brazil wood, 1 oz. of scarlet berries, 16 oz. of water, 
and \ oz. of sulphate or chloride of zinc. Adding 
a little sulphate of copper modifies the colour. 

The leather intended for dyeing in bright colours 
should be as nearly white as possible. Leather 
that has been tanned, that is, alum-tanned or tanned 
with pale tan liquors, will be most suitable for the 
purpose. After dyeing, the leathers are usually 
finished by smoothing with a " slicker/' and dry- 
ing very slowly, stretching them and working them 
about from time to time to prevent wrinkling and 
stiffening. As a finish they may be rubbed with a 
strong soap solution made with curd or Castile 
soap. A dull polish may be obtained by using a 
polishing rag and a little French chalk. In some 
cases oils and yolk of eggs arc employed to aid in 
softening the leather. 



129 



CHAPTER XIII. 

MISCELLANEOUS EXAMPLES OF LEATHER WORK. 

A number of miscellaneous articles in leather will 
have their construction described in this chapter. 

Cash bags may be made of soft leather, such 
as wash-leather or basil. Cut them from 8 in. to 
9 in. long and from 4^ in. to 6^ in. wide ; have a 
centre piece to reach to within 2 in. of the top, of 
the same width as the bag ; put the three edges 
together and tack them, and either backstitch or 
double-hand them with a fine awl and needles, with 
linen thread of any colour. Then turn the bag 




Fig-. 129. — Portsea Purse or Saddler's Purse. 



inside out and turn in \ in. about the mouth, stitch- 
ing all round the bottom of the turned-down piece. 
Punch holes | in. apart all round the mouth be- 
tween the stitches and the top, and run a string 
in and out from each end through these holes so 
that the string crosses in the holes ; knot the ends 
so that the mouth is closed on pulling the string. 

The Portsea purse (Fig. 129) is commonly called 

a saddler's purse, and may be made easily. The 

material may be hogskin, light calf, or other light 

leather of any colour. Cut the back part 5^ in. 

I 



130 Leather Working. 

long, round it at one end for the bottom, leaving 
the sides straight ; then round the top, cut the front 
piece 3| in. long, and round it at one end to the 
same shape as the back part ; let it be quite square 
and straight at the top. Cut the centre piece to 
the same shape, and round it at the top. 

There are now three pieces ; put these together 
and tack them. Having marked the stitches on 
the front part, stitch double with beeswaxed linen 
thread where the front part begins, and stitch all 
round to the opposite side. Then glasspaper the 
edges, wet them, and rub with a rag so as to polish 
them. Turn down the back part a little above the 
line of the front piece, and give the bend a few light 
taps with a hammer. 

A small button, such as a small front stud, may 
be put through the front piece, with a hole opposite 
in the overlap to fasten it down ; but this is not 
really necessary. If the pocket is made with a 
gusset — that is, a piece let in to open it to increase 
the capacity — a button will be required to keep it 
closed. 

For the gusset, cut a thin piece of soft and 
pliable hogskin ; it must be long enough to go 
round the stitched part of the purse and 1^ in. wide. 
Double it down all along the middle, and mark it 
along the bent edge with the screw-crease and 
prick along the mark ; put in the centre piece of 
the purse from the point of the straight end be- 
tween the two folds of the gusset right up to the 
leather at the bend, and turn the gusset so all 
round the centre piece, and stitch along the marks 
made all round, taking care that with every stitch 
the centre piece is caught up. Cut square with the 
top of the centre piece on both sides, and tack the 
edge of the gusset right opposite on the back and 
all round, and stitch the gusset and back together 
all the way. 

Tack the front piece to the other side of the 



MlSCELLANEO US EXA MPL ES. 1 3 I 

gusset and stitch it round ; then damp the gusset 
well, and draw a piece of string tightly against the 
middle of the gusset between the back and centre 
pieces ; also draw it between the centre and the 
front piece to pull in the gusset. Put the purse on 
a flat surface and weight it to keep it flat ; leave it 
so till the gusset dries, and it will then stand and 
keep its form. Trim and rub the edges, turn down, 
overlap, and put in the button. Other purses may 
be made on the principles just described. 

It frequently happens — even when a good price 
is paid for a pair of opera glasses — that the case 
sold with them soon shows signs of becoming dilapi- 
dated. This is owing to the trumpery material 
these cases are made of, and the slip-shod style of 
putting them together. The instructions given 
here are for making a case in solid leather, which, 
if well-made, will keep in good shape and sound 
condition for many years. There is no difficulty in 
making it, the details of construction being soon 
mastered ; and its cost will be but trifling. Brown 
and patent leathers look and wear well, and both 
kinds are made up in the same manner. 

Fig. 130 gives the three necessary patterns for 
cutting out an opera-glass case. The body is 
made of two pieces marked a, which are joined 
together on each side where the strap goes round. 
b shows the pattern for the top. A strip of leather 
\ in. wide is joined to this and forms the flange. 
This may be cut in one length and carried right 
round, or made in two pieces and joined even with 
the seams on the body, c is the bottom pattern. 

Make tracings of the three patterns on suitable 
paper and paste these to thin cardboard, or sheet 
zinc. of fine gauge. Cut them out correctly, lay the 
patterns on the leather, and either cut it with a 
fine-pointed knife round the edge of the pattern, 
or mark the shape first with a round point and cut 
out after the pattern is removed. 



132 Lea ther Working. 

For colouring the edges of brown leather use a 
very weak solution of " size " — 1 oz. is enough to 
^ pt. of water ; and a few drops of oxalic acid in 
solution added to it produces a more brilliant 
polish. If black, or patent, leather is used, colour 
the size with a little lampblack or similar pigment. 
The edging must be applied hot with a sponge, and 
the polish produced by rubbing with a moderately 
coarse cloth. 

The sling-strap should be 6 ft. long by f in. wide. 
The strap to hold down the lid is 3 in. long by | in., 
and the four loops to keep the sling-strap in posi- 
tion round the case must be cut If in. long by | in. 
A number of holes will have to be made in the 
straps. 

Colour and rub up the edges of straps and loops, 
and one edge only on the flange pieces. Those 
edges to be sewn must be finished after the stitch- 
ing is done. 

The buckle chape should be stitched on to the 
middle of one half which is to form the body before 
the side seams are closed ; it is so much easier to 
fix this on to the flat surface. Mark all parts for 
the stitching £ in. from the edges— that is one edge 
of each flange piece, the four edges of the body, 
and also the top and bottom pieces. 

The flange pieces for the body are laid inside 
and fixed to the broadest part of each body half. 
Secure these in position with a few small nails and 
stitch them straight through. See that the inside 
edge is well taken hold of by each stitch, and that 
a uniform portion of the flange is in sight. Having 
sewn these on, the sides arc now ready for closing 
together. In doing this, the awl must be driven, 
not straight through as in the case of stitching on 
the flange, but in a slanting direction from the 
mark along the surface towards the extreme edge 
at the bottom, and then through the other part in 
a corresponding manner, bringing the awl out at 



Miscellaneous Examples. 133 

the opposite mark. In this manner one edge is 
made to butt close against the other, and the stitch- 
ing securely holds them together. 

The guide loops for the sling-strap must be 
stitched on next. Place these evenly across the 
seams, so that an equal proportion of loop is on 
either side, and stitch them on, leaving sufficient 
" slack " to allow the sling-strap to be drawn 
through. Two small pieces of leather — to form 
hinges — must also be attached to the body. Stitch 
the bottom in next. This is put inside the lower 









A 




1 


- 












/ y 












\ ! / 


""*••< 


--- 


B 


*-•"" 


~~\\ 


/ •' / 











N \ 


! ' 










\ ■ 


/ \> 










a 


' V^_. 






•»• « •»» 




// 











**--. «. m 


— - x 


^*~^» — - 










^ 



Fig 1 . 130. — Patterns for Parts of Opera Glass Case. 

part of the body, the cut edge of this latter being 
brought flush with the outside of the bottom. Pass 
the awl through from the mark on the body to that 
on the bottom — not vice versa. 

The flange piece is next sewn to the lid in a like 
manner, the cut edge of flange being flush with the 
outside of the top. Sew this to the two hinge 
pieces at the back and stitch the small strap to the 
front. Cut and fit in the baize or velvet lining, 
using some good paste for fixing it. The case is 
completed by sewing a buckle and loop into the 



134 Leather Working. 

sling-strap, and passing it through the four guide 
loops. 

Cases for any size of glasses — opera, field, or 
marine — may be made from these instructions. 
To get the size of the top and bottom leather, place 
the glasses on a sheet of paper and take the out- 
side measurement at each end. Then take the 
length of the glasses, first turning the screw to 
bring the glasses to the shortest focus, and make 
some allowance over this measurement for the 
thickness of leather, etc. 

In making a music carrier, such as is illustrated 
by Fig. 131 below, great skill is not required, 




Fig. 131. — Music Carrier Closed. 

especially if the instructions about to be given are 
followed with care. 

The shape is of the ordinary round bottom 
pattern (Fig. 131) so generally used, which pos- 
sesses the advantage of holding the folded music 
without any perceptible crease. Fig. 132 shows 
the lid raised and the front flap dropped ready for 
receiving the sheets of music as well as for with- 
drawing them. With this drop flap it is easier to 
insert and remove the music than would be possible 
if this portion were united to the ends in the same 
manner as the back. 

The dimensions given will be found suitable for 
all ordinary sheet music measuring 14 in. by 10 in., 



Miscellaneous Examples. 135 

the case when made up being 15 in. long by 5| in. 
deep. The diagram (Fig. 133) shows how the 
various parts are divided, 3^ in. being the drop 
flap, 9 in. the bottom and back, If in. the top of 
lid, and 2| in. the lid flap. Of course, there is no 
necessity to keep precisely to these dimensions, 
but they will be found to be very suitable for the 
purpose. 

Whatever material is used it is essential that it 
should be cut in one piece, allowing a sufficient 
margin beyond the four edges for turning over — at 
least half an inch. Many kinds of material are 




Fig. 132. — Music Carrier Open. 

used, from the commonest bookbinders' cloth to 
the expensive French moroccos and scented Russia 
leather. Common bookbinders' cloth is the 
cheapest and the least troublesome to use, but it is 
the least durable. Dull-grained American duck 
wears better, but is not so easy to work. 

Lay the cloth or leather, as the case may be, 
face downwards on a level table and proceed to 
line out the various parts as in Fig. 133 ; allow \ in. 
to I in. beyond when cutting to provide the neces- 
sary surplus for folding over the edges. The cor- 
ners of this surplus must be removed as shown, 
so that the edges when folded over the board neatly 
butt together. A piece of thin millboard is next 



136 



Lea ther Working. 



cut 15 in. by 16^ in., the two corners are taken 
off, and the cross lines scored — that is, cut about 
half-way through with a pointed knife travelling 
along a straight edge. This permits the board 
being folded into divisions without separating the 
parts. The two lines on each side of the lf-in. 
space are scored, then the board must be turned 
over and the line for the drop flap (3^-in. space) 
scored on the other side. 



ml* 

-v- 



-16- 



Fig. 133. — Pattern for Music Carrier. 



Good bookbinders' paste is next applied to the 
inside of the material, and the millboard surface 
is double scored ; then lay the board in position on 
the cloth and press the two firmly together by 
using the roller (Fig. 134). The pasted edges are 
next brought over the boa'rd and rolled. 

The inside lining is cut rather less than the size 
of the millboard, so that it does not quite reach the 
extreme edges, but proves sufficient to make a good 
lap over the turned-in surplus. The rounded ends 



Miscellaneous Examples. 



i37 



seen in Figs. 131 and 132 are usually cut from a 
piece of \-m. good deal or mahogany board, and 
covered to correspond. Place one of these ends in 
position and fix with an escutcheon pin at the ex- 
treme point forming the back, and again just below 
the drop flap ; then at intervals insert small gimp 
pins and fix in the other end to match. 

The lock and catch are fixed by three pins being 
riveted through each, and metal handles with 
bosses and clamps may be bought and easily fixed. 
When leather handles are used it is a much stronger 
method to insert the ends through openings made 
in the top of the case, and then stitch or rivet 
them ; and it will give a neater appearance if the 




Fig. 134.— Hand Roller 



handle and lock are fixed before the inside lining 
at this part is pasted down. 

A leather camera case must be of simple shape, 
strong, thoroughly waterproof, of a smooth in- 
terior, so that it does not scratch the camera, and 
it should not be heavier than is consistent with 
durability. 

The leather for a camera case is not a very ex- 
pensive item, and there is little else to add to its 
cost except the lining and a few buckles and dees, 
or rings. The patterns may be cut from thin card- 
board or brown paper. 

For a ^-plate camera case as illustrated by Fig. 
135, cut the widest pattern first (see Fig. 136). This 
forms the outside flap, top, and back of case. 



138 Leather Working. 

Round the corners well at one end and slightly at 
the other, and draw two lines across the pattern, 
using a square for this purpose. One line is drawi. 
across 3| in. from the end with large rounded 
corners — this gives the size of the flap ; and another 




Fig-. 135.— Camera Case. 



line is drawn 7 in. from this, giving the size of top 
and leaving 11 in. for the depth of case, and a total 
length of 21| in. The width throughout is 8j in. 
Next cut a pattern 36 in. long by 7 in. wide for the 
gusset (see Fig. 137). The four corners must be 
rounded oft' and lines drawn across the pattern, one 



M ISC EL L A NEO US EXA MPL ES. 



139 



3 in. from each end and two more 11 in. from these. 
This leaves a space of 8 in. for the bottom. The 
pattern for the front is a simple rectangle 11 in. 
long by 8{ in. wide, two of the corners being slightly 
rounded. 

Black enamelled or brown cowhide is the best 




v J 

Fig. 136. — Front Flap, Top, and Back of Camera Case. 

leather for this purpose, and a camera case this 
size will take about 3| square feet. Some pieces 
of leather for binding the flaps will be wanted ; 
these must be thin and pliable, and cut into strips 
I in. wide and long enough to reach ^ in. beyond 
the marks showing the parts to form the flaps. In 
Fig. 136 the binding starts at a and is continued 
round to b, as this part forms the top of the case 
as well as the flap. 



1 I 




c 


■"" ^ 


<_ 8 , 


< -11- --s 


<--3'--J 

J 


V. 


p 




D 



> Fig. 137. — Gusset and Flaps of Camera Case. 

Leather for the straps and chapes will also be 
required. For the sling a piece 42 in. long by 1 in., 
and another piece 14 in. long, same width, for the 
buckle part. These will be long enough to go twice 
round the case so that it may be carried in the hand, 
if desired, the double width of the strap forming a 



140 Leather Working. 

good handle. Chapes for the dees to be fixed to 
the case must be 3^ in. long and 2 in. wide, cut to 
the shape of Fig. 138. Those for the buckles are 
cut the same shape, but only 3 in. long by 1^ in. 
wide. A hole at x must be cut in these for the 
buckle. A strap 7 in. long by f in. wide for the 
outside flap, and another 5^ in. long by f in. wide 
for the gusset flaps, and two \-m. loop pieces, two 
|-in. buckles, one 1-in. buckle, and two 1-in. dees 
or rings, will be all that is required except the 
lining. This may be either plush, velvet, green 
baize, cloth, or even thin leather. 

With the patterns and materials ready, begin 
cutting out. Lay the patterns on the leather and 
see which is the best and most economical way of 
cutting out the parts, using the stoutest parts for 
the front and back, as these are subjected to the 
hardest wear. Cut evenly round the patterns with 
a sharp knife, running the second finger of the 
hand holding the knife along the edge of the pat- 
tern as a guide, and holding the pattern down 
firmly with the other hand. Then cut out the 
lining, one piece to each pattern. 

In order that there may be nothing rough inside 
when the bag is finished, the dee chapes, buckle 
pieces, and short straps must be sewn on before 
lining the case. The long straps can be sewn on 
the dees after the bag is made up. Put the straight 
part of the dees into their chapes and tack them on 
to the gussets with two or three small nails to keep 
them in p'osition whilst being sewn. About \\ in. 
from each end will be about the right distance for 
these, and the shortest narrow strap is sewn on 
one flap nearer the end and a chape with buckle 
and loop-piece in on the other. See that these are 
far enough from the edge to give room for the bind- 
ing. The chape with buckle and loop must be sewn 
on the front piece, in about the middle of it, and 
the other narrow strap sewn on the front flar> The 



Miscellaneous Examples. 141 

sewing thread should be a four- or five-cord thread 
of No. 22 hemp. 

The leather should now be placed bottom up- 
wards and the lining joined to it by a thin streak 
of glue or paste round the edges, pressing them 
well together. If a stiffened case is required, pieces 
of cardboard cut to the size of the various parts, 
except the flaps, may be glued between the leather 
and lining. Trim the lining off level with the 
leather and paste on the bindings. Before apply- 
ing the paste to these, fold them over and tap them 
down with a hammer; this will cause them to go 
round more evenly and help the paste to unite 
them to the leather and lining. A three-cord thread 
of fine closing flax is stout enough for sewing the 
bindings, and the stitches should be six or eight 
to the inch. 

Before sewing the sides together, place the 
patterns on the leather and make ink marks on the 
brown edges of the latter where the lines run across 
the patterns ; this will serve as a guide in fitting 
the parts together. All the unbound edges must 
be marked \ in. from the edge with a pair of com- 
passes to give the lines for straight stitching, and 
if a saddler's pricking iron can be obtained these 
lines may be stamped with it and a perfectly even 
stitch obtained. These pricking irons cost, new, 
l£d. a tooth, and are made with teeth ranging from 
six to the inch to sixteen to the inch, and from 
three or four teeth to twenty in number. For sew- 
ing these seams use a four -cord hemp thread. 

If the case is a stiffened one, it will be found 
rather difficult to sew these side scams in the clamp, 
but if a box 10 in. by 1\ in. by 6^ in. is made, the 
case can be tacked on to this and held between the 
knees whilst being sewn. Stitch the front piece 
and one edge of the gusset first, and then fix on 
and sew the back part to the other gusset edge. 
Shave the edges even with a spokeshave, rub on 



142 Leather Working. 

some dye, and polish them with a soft cloth. It 
only remains to sew the long straps on to the dees 
and the case is completed. 

The regulations for dog muzzles specify the use 
of a cage muzzle which shall prevent any possi- 
bility of the animal biting, and shall also give per- 
fect freedom in breathing and not hinder the dog 
from lapping water. 

The muzzles sold in shops are generally made to 
standard sizes, and are only suitable for the dog 
with an average-shaped head. The sizes given 
below correspond to those articles, but the method 
of altering the various parts will be pointed out, so 
that there will be no difficulty in making a muzzle 
for any head. 

On referring to Fig. 139, the muzzle will be 
found to consist of four pieces of narrow leather, 
namely, a nose-piece, the front, the cage proper, 
and the strap and buckle-piece. 

The nose-piece runs from a round the nose and 
under the buckle at the other end, and has seven 
slits pierced through it sideways — at A, b, c, d, e, f, 
and G. Similar slits are cut in the front piece at 
h, 1, and J. In the muzzle or cage-piece, m, o, p, q, s, 
there are only two slits at l and N, and in the strap- 
piece slits are cut at x, e, k, and t. 

To make a No. 2 size muzzle — which fits a small 
fox-terrier dog — cut four strips of leather, each 
barely f in. wide, trim off the sharp edges and rub 
them up with a rough cloth, first sponging on some 
warm-coloured size diluted. Make the nose-piece 
11 in., front piece 6 in., cage-piece 22 in., and strap- 
piece 20 in. long. Mark one edge of the nose- 
piece with a blue lead for the slits, marking first at 
I in. from one end, then at 2 in., 3^ in., and 4f in. 
Fold the strap exactly in the middle and mark the 
edge opposite these, so that the spaces on each side 
are uniform. There is no necessity to mark one 
at the other end, as this enters the buckle chape. 



Miscellaneous Examples. 143 

Use a sharp, narrow chisel or a penknife for 
dividing the leather, and be careful to cut it clean 
through the middle. A gauge, made by nailing 
some odd pieces of leather on a board, is very use- 
ful in firmly holding the leather edgeways for this 
operation. Having cut the slits, take the front 
piece and cut a slit | in. from each end and one 
25 in. from one end, leaving 3| in. for the forehead. 
The cage- piece has two slits only, the first \\ in. 
and the other 4^ in., these distances being measured 
from one end only. In marking the slits in the 




Fig. 138.- Dee 
and Buckle 
Chape. 




Fig. 139. — Humane Dog Muzzle. 



strap-piece 1 to 6, start from the buckle end and 
mark the edge at 2^ in., 4 in., 7 in., 8 in., and 10^ in., 
and cut the slits. The strap-piece crosses under- 
neath the throat at x. 

For fitting the muzzle together, take the front 
piece, open the slit 1, and pass one end of the cage- 
piece through ; fold it to get the slit over the 
middle, make a hole with a small awl, and drive the 
nail through to keep it in position. Put a washer 
over the nail, cut off, and rivet with a small 
hammer, using a lead piece as a support. 



144 Leather Working. 

The cage-piece is next passed through the nose-~ 
piece at B and G (Fig. 139), and the strap-piece is 
passed successively through J, a, x, f, h, and c. 
With the front of the muzzle towards the worker, 
continue the cage-strip from G through E, d, and K. 
Then take the other end, and pass it through R, n, 
e, l, and T. See that all the parts correspond 
before nailing and riveting. 

If possible, try the muzzle on the dog to ensure 
the various spaces being well apportioned. On 
small muzzles it is usual to cut a strap 4 in. long 
by \ in. wide, and rivet or stitch it to that end of 
the strap-piece which slides through J. Punch 




Cycle Valise. 



four or five holes in it for adjusting to the size of 
the dog's neck. . A chape with double buckle is 
riveted to the other end. 

The lengths of the various parts for muzzles 
numbered in lists as No. 4, No. 6, or No. 8 size are 
as follow, the spaces being in proportion to the one 
illustrated here : 





No. 4. 


No. 6. 


No. 8 




in. 


in. 


in. 


Nose-piece ... 


... m 


15* 


2U 


Front... 


7 


Si 


9* 


Cage-piece ... 


... 26 


32 


40 


Strap-piece ... 


... 23 


27 


32 



For a pug dog, the front and nose-pieces must 



Miscellaneous Examples. 



US 



be shorter, and the other two parts longer ; the dis- 
tance H to J (Fig. 139) is extremely short, and the 
cross at the throat is close to n. For a dog with a 
long thin head the opposite treatment is necessary. 
These muzzles have the appearance of being very 
complicated, but, by following the instructions, it 
will be an easy matter to make them. 

A cycle valise should be light, strong, rainproof, 
and as commodious as the frame of the machine 
will permit. Leather or waterproof canvas will 
answer well for the purpose, and, by making the 
valise as shown by Fig. 140, it will have sufficient 
capacity, without being too large or cumbersome. 
The sizes given will be suitable for nearly all 




Fig". 141.— Pattern for Cycle Valise. 



frames, but where this is not the case the necessary 
alterations can be made before cutting out the 
material. To get the correct size of valise, place 
a sheet of strawboard on one side of the cycle 
frame, and mark it by running a lead pencil round 
the inside of the frame. Another plan is to cut 
out a pattern of the small half from the dimensions 
given in Fig. 141. 

Half a yard of material will be required to make 
the valise ; the gusset, however, will not be all in 
one piece, but must be cut from the surplus and 
joined. If it is desired to have the gusset without a 
join, | yd. must be bought. This would be most 
economical if two carriers are to be made, and as 
the material is suitable for cutting either crosswise 
or lengthwise, the patterns may be reversed and 
j 



146 



L EA THER IV O R K 1 NG. 



there will be less waste. Be careful to mark the 
patterns a or b distinctly, and, in cutting the 
material, see that the letters are uppermost, or the 
parts will not be in pairs. In Fig. 141, a denotes 
the small half, and b the large half with flap. 

The gusset is cut 3 in. wide by 40 in. long. Strips 
of soft hide bellies must be cut 1 in. wide, the ends 
pared down and spliced together with good paste : 
about 12 ft. will be wanted. Bind the flap first, 
then the top of the small half which is to go under 
it, and each end of the gusset-piece. The parts 




Fig. 112. — Pattern for Leather Covering of Workbox 



are then pasted together and bound with leather. 
The straps for the flap are cut 6 in. long by f in. 
wide, and those for fastening to the frame 10 in. 
by | in. The buckle is sewn into one end of these, 
and they are stitched on the carrier close to this 
stitching. To make the sides very firm, stiffen 
them with pieces of cardboard ; the gusset should 
be kept flexible. 

A lady's workbox can be covered with leather 
in the following way. For the lid or top, measure 
from the front opening at the lock to the hinge 
line, and again over the top from each side open- 



M ISC EL LA NEO US EXA MPL ES. 



I 47 



ing. The inner row of dotted lines in Fig. 142 
shows the plan of top of lid ; the outer row shows 
where it turns over the lower edge ; the part be- 
yond this is brought to the under part of frame 
resting on the other half of the box. Make a brown 
paper pattern and put this on first, to see if it is 
correct. The corners, as shown in Fig. 142, allow 
for lapping over, which is much stronger and neater 
than butt joints. They must be pared down, so 



r 






iD 


\ 


, 1 — 














i 

i 






A 


CO 


B 




'•\ 


*~x ~*" 


-> 






' L . 






-Jj 









Fig. 143. — Luggage Label. 



that the thickness of the lap is not greater than any 
other part. 

To cover the lower half of the box, take the 
outside measurement of the four sides, and cut a 
strip of leather 1 in. wider and \ in. longer ; this 
allows for turning over the upper and lower edges, 
and making a lap joint, which should be at one 
of the back corners. Pare down all edges which 
are made to lap over and form joints. 

For the workbox bottom, cut a piece £ in. less 
than the bottom of the box, and fix this on to cover 
evenly the turned edges. Apply a thin coat of glue 



148 



Lea ther Working. 



to both leather and wood, and press them together. 
Do the work in sections, thus — the top of the lid 
first, then the four sides, and, lastly, the turned 




F,g. 144. — Another Lug-gage Label. 

edges at the bottom. The metal hinges should be 
removed, so that the lid is quite detached from tne 
lower half of the workbox. If the box is veneered, 




Fig. 145. — Segment of Cricket Ball Covering. 



the veneer will have to be well sand-papered, in 
order to get the glue to adhere properly. 

Luggage labels can easily be made from leather, 



Miscellaneous Examples. 



149 



which should be stiff rather than soft and oily. To 
make one of the shape illustrated by Fig. 143, cut 
two pieces of leather about 4 in. by 2| in. and 
round them off on the top edges. With the back 
of a knife-blade and straightedge, mark and cut 
out the pieces a and b, and place them together, 
with the flesh sides touching ; sew them together 




Fig. 146. — Sewing Cricket Ball Covering. 



on the three edges, as shown. Cut the slit d 
through both, about T V m - to \ in. wide by f in. or 
I in. long. A strap about 3 in. long, to be fastened 
to the parcel, is put through the slit. Thin card- 
boards (plain postcards are just the thing) are cut 
to size to slip in the label, when the required name 
and address, etc., have been written on. 

Fig. 144 shows another label, the only difference 



i5o 



Lea ther Working. 



being that the front part has a larger space for a 
full address. The edges of the label can be made 
gloss}' and smooth simply by rubbing with a piece 
of hard wood, bone, or other hard substance, the 
edges of the leather being wetted. 

A cricket ball that will withstand a lot of hard 
wear may be made from some old corks and some 
leather. Cut the corks square and glue them to- 




Fig. 147. —Sewing- Halves of Covering- on Cricket Ball. 

gether, and, when they are dry, trim them to an 
approximately spherical shape. Bind the cork ball 
round and round with twine until it is of the desired 
size minus the leather cover. The finished ball 
should be 2| in. in diameter. 

The leather used for the covering must be 
strong but not thick. Four pieces to the shape 
shown by Fig. 145 must be cut, each being half the 
circumference long and a quarter the circumference 
wide, and allowing \ in. all round for the seam. 



AT ISC EL LA NEC US EXA MPLES. 



151 



Soften the leather by soaking it in water for a 
short time, and then put two pieces together and 
hold them in the jaws of a vice between two pieces 
of wood shaped to correspond with the leather (see 



Fig-. 148.— Section of Sewn Edges of Ball Covering. 

Fig. 146). The actual inside of the leather should 
be made the outside. The sewing is commenced 
with a waxed thread having a harness-maker's 
needle on each end ; holes for the needles to pass 
through are made with a fine stabbing awl. The 
two halves of the cover are made separately, and 
when opened the seams are hammered flat. 

Then the covers are placed over" the twine-and- 




Fig. 149. — Holding Cricket Ball during Sewing. 

cork ball and the edges sewn together. One way 
of doing this is to use a straight awl, cut the edges 
off close, and then hammer well to shape. Another 
method, more difficult but producing a stronger 



152 Lea ther Working. 

job, is to use a slightly bent awl, have the seam 
bent over, and then stitch through the four 
thicknesses of leather. The latter method is illus- 
trated by Figs. 147 and 148, the latter figure being 
a section of the doubled-over leather. Pull the 
stitches up tight ; as the leather dries, it will shrink 
and become tighter. Having trimmed the seam 
with a sharp knife, taking care not to cut the 
stitches, flatten the seam by hammering. 

The ball may be held whilst sewing by the ap- 
pliance shown by Fig. 149. A board about 4 in. 
wide and from 12 in. to 18 in. long is fixed to the 
bench or table with a bent screw. In the board is 
a hole not quite so large as the diameter of the ball, 
which is kept in place partly under and partly 
within the hole by foot pressure exerted on a strap 
or string passing over the outer end of the board as 
illustrated. To alter the position of the ball, the 
foot pressure is released. The above instructions 
will be of help also in repairing cricket balls whose 
seams have come undone. 

The leather for a suit case should be such as 
is used for straps of portmanteaus, etc. ; it is 
smooth-grained and polished, and is made from 
stout sides, small butts, etc. Cowhide can be 
used, but will want a better backing. 

When making the suit case, first cut a pattern 
of stiff paper to the dimensions given below. Then 
a case 6 in. high will need only 2 ft. of stitching, 
while if the pattern were cut in separate pieces 
there would be 13 ft. of stitching and less, strength. 
Fig. 150 shows the bottom, the centre of which 
must measure within the dotted lines 20 in. by 
13 in. Each of the four side-pieces A, b, c, and d 
is 4 in. wide from the dotted line. The pattern 
(Fig. 151) for the lid can be cut in the same way, 
but the four pieces e, f, g, and H must be only 
2 in. wide. Or the top and bottom sides may 
measure 4^ in. and \\ in. respectively, or the 



Miscellaneous Examples. 



153 



bottom 6 in. and the lid (say) 1^ in., if the lid 
is to overlap the case ; in such an instance the 
centre of the lid will need to be larger, in pro- 
portion to the substance of the material and its 
backing, but the first system is best and neatest. 
For the backing and lining, patterns are cut for 
the two centres, and one of the sides (Fig. 150) is 
used as pattern for the four sides. Cut off one 
side (again to the dotted line) for the four sides of 
the lid. This will be better if done after the case 
is sewn. The pieces must be well fitted for each 
side and top and bottom, and they will want cover- 



J 
1 




A 


K 

L 


B 
1 




4* 


c 






D 





Fig-. 150. — Bottom Piece of Suit Case. 

ing with the lining, such as thin leather, drill, or 
sateen. 

Mark across the two pieces of leather at the 
back just the same as the dotted lines in Figs. 
150 and 151, and on these eight lines with a very 
small gouge a small groove must be made about 
half-way through the material. When cowhide is 
used a heavy mark will be sufficient, if one part 
is turned over flat on the other and gently tapped 
down on the right side. 

To form true right-angles at the corners, squares 
should be cut out, as at 1 J and k l (Fig. 150), at 
both ends of the bottom piece. 



154 



Lea ther Wor king . 



The sewing can be done with about six or seven 
strands of yellow flax, made into a thread as for 
shoe-making ; or the thread may be made in the 
same way, and a harness-maker's needle used with 
a diamond awl, each seam finishing firm and well 
at the top and bottom. 

Then fit the ten pieces of backing, which may 
be pasteboard or stout cardboard, but thin leather- 
board or wood pulpboard would be lightest. Cut 
a small angular piece off all sides, or round up the 
edges with fine sandpaper, covering one side of 
each piece with lining material and leaving a 




Fio-. 151.— Lid of Suit Case. 



margin all round to turn over to the other side. 
This can be done to all four sides of the top and 
bottom pieces, and the three sides of the four end- 
pieces, as A, d, E, and h. Thus J, m, k (Fig. 150) 
would have three smooth sides, while the bottom 
part at n would hang loose with the four long 
sides b, c, f, and g. Only the top of each need 
be turned over, and these four sides can be glued 
in first by applying a coat to the back and on the 
rough ends of the lining that hang over. As each 
is fixed (bookbinder's paste will do), glue the side 
to which it is to be stuck, and fit it so that the 
rough edge of the linen sticks on each end and 
at the bottom. Putting in b first, then c, it will 
be seen that each seam has a piece of this lining 



Miscellaneous Examples. 155 

to strengthen it and help to keep the case square. 
Also when a and d are glued in, all four corners 
are neat, and additional strength is also given all 
round the edge of the bottom. The bottom can 
now be stuck in, but in applying the glue, take 
care not to bring it quite to the edge, stopping, 
say, within \ in. at least, or while fixing it in the 
sides will be smeared. 

A 46-in. strip of firm leather, 1^ in. wide, of the 
material used for the outside can be either cov- 
ered with thin brown Persian or left as it is. In 
the latter case it will be well to sandpaper and 
finish off the edge with a little brown cream. This 
piece forms a sort of flange all round the front 
and two ends, letting \ in. be, as it were, inside 
the bottom of the case, and 1 in. projecting above, 



A 



Fig-. 152.— Section of Suit Case Side. 

as shown by Q (Fig. 152), o being the bottom of 
the case and p the side. This keeps the lid firmly 
in its place, and prevents any wet getting in while 
the case is carried. It can be stitched all round 
to the top edge of the case, as shown at R. If 
the lid is made to overlap, this piece is dispensed 
with, and either the top can be stitched as a finish 
or a copper rivet may be put through here and 
there. 

The handle can be made by cutting two pieces 
of leather to shape and skiving them at the edge 
to about half their thickness, and then stitching 
the two together. If it is wanted thicker in the 
middle, paste a long oval piece down the centre 
before putting the two flesh sides together. This 
can be secured on the front of the bottom of the 
case by two copper rivets, or, better still, buy, 



156 Leather Working, 

or make from a piece of strip brass, two square 
sockets for the handle. Each must be secured to 
the case by two small copper rivets, and each 
before fastening must have the handle put under, 
so that it crosses the handle. This will then have 
some play, and will lie flat while not in use, and 
lift sufficiently for the hand to go under; or one 
handle can be put at each end. 

To finish the box, cut a strip of leather 2 in. 
wide and 1 ft. 8 in. long, put the lid on the case, 
and put the strip along the back, so that 1 in. of 
the width lies on the lid and the other inch on the 
case. Mark it right along on each side, take the 
lid off, and secure the piece to it by a row of small 
copper rivets or a row of stitching, and then repeat 
for fastening to the case. 

A lock is easily added by cutting a portion of 
the front of the case away, inserting the lock, and 
riveting it on. Then close the case, fitting the 
hasp portion of the lock in position and riveting 
it in its place. 



INDEX. 



Acid Dyes for Leather, 127 

Alligator Skins, 9 

American Cloth, Mandoline 

Case in, 60—64 
Aniline Dyes for Leather, 126 
Association Footballs, 117 
Bags, 65—69 

, Brief, 65—70 

, Cartridge, 109—111 

, Cash, 129 

, Cricketing, 89 

Frames, Riveting, 72 

, Gladstone, 73—83 

, Tennis, 89 

, Half Gladstone Tennis, 89 

, Ladies', 70 

, Tennis, 84—89 

Ball, Cricket, 150 

, , Covering, 150 

, , Holding on Bench, 151 

, , Sewing, 151 

Band for Hat Case, Cutting, 51 

Banjo Case, 55—60 
Bottom, 56 

Handle, 58 

Lining, 56 

Pattern, Cutting, 55 

Basic Dyes for Leather, 127 

Basil Leather, 15 

Belly Leather, Foreign, 15 

Bifurcated Rivets, 26 

Binding Corner of Mandoline 
Case, 63 

Black Dyes, Aniline, 126 

Grain Hide, 13 

Blackening Leather, 127 

Block for Making Collar Box, 
46 

Blotting Pad, 39 

Board. Cutting, 17 

Bone, Rubbing, 75 

Bookbinders' Skiver, 13 

Box (see also Case) 

— -, Horseshoe Collar, 43 — 46 

, Round Collar. 46—48 

Box-calf Leather, 15 

Braces, 27 

Brief Bag. Cutting Out. 67 

, Gussets for, 67 

, Lining, 69 

, Narrow, 66 

, Sewing, 68 

Brown Cowhide, 13 



Brown Glace Kid, 14 

Leather, Cleaning. Ill 

Levant Morocco, 12 

Persian, 13 

Brush Case, 40 

, Lining. 41 

Bucket-shaped Hat Case, 49 
Buckle, 18 

Chape, 140 

Strap, 105 

Buckles, Roller, 21 
Buckling Garters, 18 
Buckskin, 14 
Butt, Foreign, 15 
Calf Kid, 11 

Leather, Box, 15 

, Memel, 10 

, Ooze, 11 

, Patent, 9 

, Russet, 10 

Tan, 11 

,' Waxed, 10 

, Willow, 15 

Camera Case, 137 
Carrier, Music, 134 
Cartridge Bag, 109—111 
I Case Banjo, 55 — 60 

, Brush, 40 

, Camera, 137 

, Field-glass. 134 

Football, 117 

Hair Brush, 40 

I Hat, 49 

I , Letter, 31—35 

| , Mandoline, 60—64 

, Opera-glass, 131 

, Suit, 152 

Tennis. 83—89 

Cash Bags, 129 

Catch Strap for Collar Box, 47 

Cleaning Brown Leather, 111 

Pigskin and Cowhide, 34 

Collar Box, Cutting Leather for, 

47 

Drawer. 44 

, Horseshoe, 43 

Lid, 45 

, Lining, 43 

, Round, 46 

Cordovan, 12 

Covering Mandoline Case, 63 

Workbox, 146 

Cowhide and Black Grain, 13 



158 



Leather Workixg. 



Cowhide, Brown, 13 

, Cleaning, 34 

, Patent, 13 

Cream Roan, 13 

Crease, Screw, 22 

Cricket Bag, 89 

Ball, 150 

, Covering, 150 

, Holding, whilst Sew- 
ing, 151 

, Sewing, 151 

Crocodile Skins, 9 

Crup or Horse Leather, 13 

Cutting Band for Hat Case, 51 

-, Board for, 17 

Leather for Collar Box. 47 

Hat Cases, 50 

Straps, 17—30 

— , Appliance for, 29, 30 

Cycle Valise, 145 

Dee and Buckle Chape, 140 

Dee-ring, 102 

Diamond Hide, 13 

Dipping Leather for Dyeing, 125 

Division Board, Trunk, 98 

Dog Leads, 22 

, Fixing Studs in, 24 

, Hollow-studding, 22 

, Simple, 23 

with Studs and Ring, 

24 

Swivel, 24 

Muzzle, 142 

Double-end Brace, 27 
Drawer, Collar Box, 44 
D-ring, 102 

Dyeing Leather, 125—128 
Dves, Acid, 127 
— -, Aniline, 126 

, Basic, 127 

Emery Stick, 17 

Enamelling Patent Calf 

Leather, 10 
Envelope. Pocket in Writing 

Pad, 37 
Field glass Cases. 134 
Folding Trunk, 90 
Football, 116 
, Association, 117 

Cases, 117 

, Lace Holes in, 119 

, Inflating, 123 

, Inflator for, 119 

, Seaming, 121, 122 

, Rugbv, 117 

Frames, Brief Bag, 67 

for Ladies' Bags, 70 

Tennis Bags, 86 

French Kid {see Glace) 
Garters, Buckling, 18 
, Making, 17 

, Packing, 20 

, Pairing, 19 

, Tools for Making, 17 



Glace Kid, 11 

, Brown, 14 

Gladstone Bag, 73—83 

with Broken Frame, 73 

Handle, 79 

Patterns, 76 

with Seams Un- 
stitched, 73 

, Tools for Making, 75 

— - Tennis Bag, 89 

Glossing Strap Edges, 22 

Glove Kid, 12 

Grounding Punch, 113 

Gusset Pattern for Brief Bag, 
67 

Stiffenings, Brief Bag, 68 

Hair Brush Case, 40 

, Lining, 41 

Half-Gladstone Tennis Bag, 89 
Hand Punch for Dog Leads, 22 
Riveter, 22 

Roller, 136 

Handle, Banjo Case, 58 

, Gladstone Bag, 76, 79 

, Hat Case, 52 

— , Ladies* Bag, 73 

, Mandoline Case, 64 

, Suit Case, 155 

Tennis Bag, 85 

, Trunk, 93 

Hat Case, 49 

, Basil, 49 

, Bucket-shaped, 49 

, Cutting Band for, 51 

, Leather for, 50 

- Handle, 52 

, Inner, 53 

Lid, 52 

Lining, 51 

Hide, Black Grain, 13 

, Cutting up, 16 

, Enamel, 13 

, Different Parts of, 16 

, Porpoise, 13 

Hides, 9 

Hinge Strap for Collar Box, 47 

Hollow Studs, 22 

Hollow-studding Dog Leads, 22 

Horse or Crup Leather, 13 

Horseshoe Collar Box, 43 

Imperial Trunk, 90 

Inflating Football Bladder, 123 

Inflators, Football, 119 

Kangaroo Leather, 14 

Kid, Brown Glace, 14 

, Calf, 11 

, Glace, 11 

, Glove, 12 

Kips, 9 
Knapsack, 100—109 

Brass Stud, 102 

Buckle Straps, 105 

Piping Leather, 107 

Ring and Holder, 102 



I.XDEX. 



159 



Labels, Luggage, 148 

Lace Holes in Football Case, 119 

Ladies' Bags, 70 

, Handles for, 73 

Leather, Qualities and Varie- 
ties of, 9—16 
Leg Straps, 20 
L ttei Case, 31 — 35 

, Pigskin, 32 

■ Stamp Pockets, 32 

Stitching, 35 

Levant Morocco, Brown, 12 

Leather, 12 

Liner for Ornamenting Leather, 

112 
Lining Banjo Case, 56 

Brief Bag, 69 

Collar Box, 48 

Gladstone Bag, 82 

Hair Brush Case, 41 

Hat Case, 51 

Mandoline Case, 62 

Writing Pad, 36 

Lock, Hat Case, 53 

, Suit Case, 156 

Luggage Labels, 148 

Mandoline Case in American 
Cloth, 60—64 

, Covering, 63 

Handle, 64 

, Lining, 62 

Pattern, Cutting, 61 

, Stitching, 64 

Marine Glass Cases, 134 

Measuring-off Stick, 17 

Memel Calf, 10 

Mitred Corner for Banjo Case, 
59 

Modellers for Ornamenting 
Leather, 112 

Morocco Leather, 12 

, Long Grain, 12 

Music Carrier, 134 

Muzzle, Dog, 142 
Ooze Calf, 11 
Opera-glass Case, 131 
Ornamentation of Leather, 112— 

115 
Packing Garters, 20 
Pad, Blotting, 39 

, Writing 35—39 

, , Lining, 36 

Pairing Garters, 19 
Parcel Straps, 22 
Patent Calf, 9 
Persian, Brown, 13 
Pigskin, 14 

, Cleaning, 34 

Letter Case, 32 

Piping Leather for Knapsacks 

107 
Pocket for Gladstone Bae, 76 

Flap for Gladstone Bag, 76 

Pockets in Writing Pad, 36—37 



Porpoise Hide, 13 
Portmanteaux, 90 
Portsea Purse, 129 
Punch for Dog Leads, 22 
, Grounding, for Ornament- 
ing Leather, 113 

Riveter, Hand, 22 

Punching Hole in Strap, 18 
Purse, Portsea, 129 

, Saddler's, 129 

Racket Cases {see Tennis) 

Railway Trunk, 90 

Ring, D., 102 

Riveter, Hand-punch, 22 

Riveting Frame to Ladies' Bag, 

72 
Rivets, Bifurcated, 26 
i Roans, 12 

i , Cream, 13 

Roller Buckles, 21 

, Hand, 136 

Round Collar Box, 46 
Rubbing Bone or Stick, 75 
Rugby Footballs, 117 
Russet Calf, 10 
B *-.sia Leather, 14 
.Saddler's Purse, 1?9 
Satchels, 109—111 
Seams for Footbal^ 121, 

Hat Case, 51 

Serpent Skins, 9 
Sewing Brief Bag, 68 

Cricket Ball Cover. 

Gladstone Bag, 81 

Hat Case, 51 

Letter Case, 35 

Mandoline Case, 64 

Skate Straps, 20, 21 
Skins, 9 

, Alligator, 9 

, Commercial, b 

, Crocodile, 9 

, Pig, 14 

, Serpent, 9 

Skiver, Bookbinders', 13 

-. Brown, 13 

Staining Leather, 128 

Stamp Pockets of Letter Case, 

32 
Stick, Rubbing. 75 
Stiffening for Gladstone Bag, 78 
Stitching (see Sewing) 
Strap Buckle, 18 

Crease, 22 

Cutting Appliance. 29, 30 

and Making, 17—30 

Edges, Glossing, 22 

, Leg, 20 

, Marking, 18 

, Parcel, 22 

, Punching Hole in, 18 

, Satchel. 109 

— , Skate. 20. 21 
, Wrist, 26 



122 



151 



i6o 



Lea ther Working. 



Studding Tennis Bag, 87 
Studs, Brass, 102 

, Fixing, in Dog Lead, 24 

, Hollow, 22 

Suit Case, 152—156 

Handle, 155 

, Leather, 152 

Lock, 156 

Swivels, Dog Lead, 24 
Tab for Gladstone Bag, 77 
Tan Calf, 11 
Tawed Leathers, 11, 12 
Tennis Bag, 84—89 

Frame, 86 

, Gladstone, 89 

, Half-Gladstone, 89 

Handle, 85 

, Studding, 87 

Racket Case, 83 

Tools, 9 

for Making Garters, 17 

Gladstone Bags, 75 



Tracer, 112 

Trunk Division Board, 98 

, Folding, 90 

Handle, 93 

, Imperial, 90 

, Railway, 90 

Turn-clip, 88 

Valise, Cycle, 145 

Varnish for Leather, 48 

Welting, 15 

White Sheep Leather, 12 

Willow Calf, 15 

Wood Block for making Collar 

Box, 46 
Workbox, Covering, with 

Leather, 146 
Wrist Strap, 26 

Bit, 26 

Writing Pad, 35—39 

, Lining, 36 

Pockets, 36 



Printed by Cassell & Company, Limited. La Belle Sauvage, E.G. 



ENGINEER'S HANDY-BOOK 

CONTAINING 

FACTS, FORMULA, TABLES AND QUESTIONS 

ON POWER, ITS GENERATION, TRANSMISSION AND MEASUREMENT; 
HEAT, FUEL AND STEAM; THE STEAM-BOILER AND ACCESSORIES; 
STEAM-ENGINES AND THEIR PARTS ; THE STEAM-ENGINE IN- 
DICATOR; GAS AND GASOLINE ENGINES; MATERIALS, 
THEIR PROPERTIES AND STRENGTH: 

TOGETHER WITH A 

DISCUSSION OF THE FUNDAMENTAL EXPEEIMENTS IN 

ELECTRICITY, 

AND AN EXPLANATION OF 

DYNAMOS, MOTORS, BATTERIES, SWITCHBOARDS, TELI 
PHONES, BELLS, ANNUNCIATORS, ALARMS, Etc., 

AND ALSO 

RULES FOR CALCULATING SIZES OF WIRES. 

BY 

STEPHEN ROPER, Engineer, 

AUTHOR OF 

" Roper's Catechism of High-Pressure or Non-Condensing Steam-Engines," 
"Roper's Hand-Book of the Locomotive," "Roper's Hand-Book of 
Land and Marine Engines," " Roper's Hand-Book of Modern 
Steam-Fire Engines," "Young Engineer's Own Book," 
"Use and Abuse of the Steam-Boiler," "Ques- 
tions and Answers for Engineers," etc. 

FIFTEENTH EDITION. 

REVISED AND GREATLY ENLARGED BY 

EDWIN R. KELLER, M. E., 

AND 

CLAYTON W. PIKE, B. S., 

Ex-President of the Electrical Section of the Franklin Institute. 



PHILADELPHIA : 

DAVID McKAY, 

1022 Market Street. 



DEC 7 1904 

ROPERS 
Practical Hand -Books 

For Engineers and Firemen, 



NEW REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION. 

HANDY-BOOK FOR STEAM ENGINEERS 

AND ELECTRICIANS. 

PRICE, $3.50. 

PRICE. 

Ropers Catechism for Steam Engineers and Electric- 
ians, $2.00 

Roper's Questions and Answers for Steam Engineers 

and Electricians, 2.00 

Roper's Hand-Book of Land and Marine Engines, ■ 3.50 
Roper's Care and Management of the Steam Boiler, 2.00 
Roper's Use and Abuse of the Steam Boiler, .... 2.00 

Roper's Young Engineers' Own Book, 2,50 

Roper's Hand-Book of the Locomotive, 2.50 

Roper's Instructions and Suggestions for Engineers 

and Firemen, 2.00 

Roper's Hand-Book of Modern Steam Fire Engines, • 3.50 

DAVID MCKAY, Publisher, 

J022 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 



TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION. 

Important New Series of Practical Volumes. Edited by PAUL 
N. HASLUCK. With numerous Illustrations in the Text. 
Each book contains about 1 60 pages, crown 8vo. Cloth, 
$1.00 each, postpaid. 

Practical Draughtsmen's Work. With 226 Illustrations. 

Contents. — Drawing Boards. Paper and Mounting. Draughtsmen's Instru- 
ments. Drawing Straight Lines. Drawing Circular Lines. Elliptical Curves. 
Projection. Back Lining Drawings. Scale Drawings and Maps. Colouring 
Drawings. Making a Drawing. Index. 

Practical Gasfitting. With 120 Illustrations. 

Contents — How Coal Gas is Made. Coal Gas from the Retort to the Gas 
Holder. Gas Supply from Gas Holder to Meter. Laying the Gas Pipe in the 
House. Gas Meters. Gas Burners. Incandescent Lights. Gas Fittings in 
Workshops and Theatres. Gas Fittings for Festival Illuminations. Gas Fires 
and Cooking Stoves. Index. 

Practical Staircase Joinery. With 215 illustrations. 

Contents. — Introduction : Explanation of Terms. Simple Form of Staircase 
— Housed String Stair : Measuring, Planning, and Setting Out. Two-flight 
Staircase. Staircase with Winders at Bottom. Staircase with Winders at Top 
and Bottom. Staircase with Half-space of Winders. Staircase over an Oblique 
Plan. Staircase with Open or Cut Strings. Cut String Staircase with Brackets. 
Open String Staircase with Bull nose Step. Geometrical Staircases. Winding 
Staircases. Ships' Staircases. Index. 

Practical Metal Plate Work. With 247 Illustrations. 

Contents. — Materials used in Metal Plate Work. Geometrical Construction 
of Plane Figures. Geometrical Construction and Development of Solid 
Figures. Tools and Appliances used in Metal Plate Work. Soldering and 
Brazing. Tinning. Re-tinning and Galvanising. Examples of Practical 
Metal Plate Work. Examples of Practical Pattern Drawing. Index. 

Practical Graining and Marbling. With 79 illustrations. 

Contents. — Graining: Introduction, Tools, and Mechanical Aids. Graining 
Grounds and Graining Colors. Oak Graining in Oil. Oak Graining in Spirit 
and Water Colours. Pollard Oak and Knotted Oak Graining. Maple Graining 
Mahogany and Pitch-pine Graining. Walnut Graining. Fancy Wood Grain- 
ing. Furniture Graining Imitating Woods by Staining. Imitating Inlaid 
Woods. Marbling: Introduction, Tools, and Materials. Imitating Varieties 
of Marble. Index. 

Ready Shortly : Practical Plumbing Work. 

Other New Volumes in Preparation. 

DAVID McKAY, Publisher, 1022 Market Street, Philadelphia. 



